Switching Gears

I've been painstakingly trying to write about Sarah and the plight of the single mom but can't seem to find inspiration in Shanghai. Perhaps she is better thought of back home in the bay house that inspired her. Now I'm on to a new character. The name hasn't really found me yet. She is a woman dying of cancer. Lying in her hospital room reliving the 3 chapters of her life. The 2 men in her life are there and she can tell which one is in the room based on the cologne he is wearing. That scent sparks flashbacks to the times they shared together. It is in real rough draft but I'm feeling much more inspired by her right now than by Sarah.

This week's writing struggle

Well, I had good intentions to write. The beginning of the week had me running errands in Shanghai. This is a logistical nightmare and took a good deal of time. So when Wednesday rolled around I was chore and kid free. I put the kids on the bus, took a walk with my dog to clear my head and then prepared my work area. I lit a candle, put on some music that I thought was appropriate for the the particular part I wanted to write, made a cup of coffee and sat down to write. Just as I was getting deeply ingrossed, my fingers flying across the key board trying to keep up with the scene unfolding in my head, the phone rings. It is the school. My youngest daughter was sick and needed to be picked up. We ended up in the ER later that evening because of my daughter's wheezing. And then my husband came down with the crud and we had social commitments for the rest of the week. Now it is Saturday morning and I've not done more than a couple of pages this week. I wonder how writers stick to a deadline if they have family commitments?

My first Post

I'm starting this blog as a journal and a dream. For about a year now I've had a story running thru my mind and in quiet moments I write it. Now I'm starting to dream a little bigger and wondering if it is possible to actually turn it into a book that can be reviewed, critiqued, published and enjoyed be others. So, I am getting more serious about the process and starting to view it as my job.

I'm allowed this freedom because of a wonderful husband with a wonderful job that has brought us around the world to Shanghai China. I now find myself with time on my hands to try to make this dream a reality.

I am not a writer in the traditional form. I did not go to school for it nor have I ever worked in the field of writing, editing, publishing or any other avenue that would give me exposure to the business. So, I have no clue. All I know is that this story and others creep in on me and I find myself consumed with the details. They say to do what you love and I love dreaming. Writing seems the best avenue for turning my dreams into a career.

My main character is a woman by the name of Sarah who has been starting over and reinventing herself her whole life. When she meets her husband, she believes she has found her place in this world. Unfortunately, a tragic fire takes her husband and then all their savings and she is forced to start over with 2 kids in tow. Determined to overcome, she finds creative ways to cope with living in the half finished house and the meager income she now has to live on. If you passed this house on the street you would think it was a picturesque setting. A coastal cottage situated amoung oak trees over looking a secluded bay that filters to the Gulf of Mexico. But the reality inside is something different.

Currently, the book is in bits and pieces. I am not writing from start to finish but as an event comes to me. In 2 weeks my youngest daughter will start school and my intentions are to begin writing as if it is my job. Kids up and off to school, I will sit down, write, research, look for ways to publish, whatever I need to do to see if this dream can come true. My problem...I'm not a disciplined person. But Sarah is and I'm hoping that by writing about her, I will find a way to manage my life.

I'm not making this blog widely known at this time. I prefer to use it as a way to voice my frustrations, triumphs, general thoughts about the writing process. So if you stumble across it, please comment and if you like it pass it on. Maybe by doing so, someone in the business will find it interesting. And if they don't maybe others will and if all I accomplish is adding a little escape to your life then I guess my job is done. We never know what our lord has in store but with faith that he is guiding the boat we are sure to sail off into the sunset on smooth seas content with the destination.

Stephenie Land