Re-discovering writing

I must admit, I'm having so much fun writing again. I don't know if what I've been doing is any good, but at the moment I'm just out to please myself and remember what little I used to know about writing. After that, or along with it, I am excited to learn more that I don't know - this would be the full bucket my little drop of previous knowledge came from.

I've re-joined my old writer's group, Arizona Night Writers Association....oops....Excuse me! AMERICAN Night Writers Association. I was even around when the group expanded into other states, requiring the name change, so I don't know why I keep forgetting. Well, I'll just refer to it in future as ANWA for short, and that will solve (hide) my memory issues.

At my first meeting I was told that writers need to blog, and that publishers actually look at them if they are seriously considering your work. I wanted to say, you're kidding, right? Aren't they too busy to bother with all the millions of blogs out there? And under that what I was really fearing was, I've seen some truly fabulous blogs - some funny, some delightful, some brilliantly written, some beautifully designed and presented - how am I supposed to compete with that? And what if someone doesn't like my conservative loud-mouthed posts I'm sure I'll write in reaction to the insanity going on on the Hill? And then the conversation in the group moved on and so did I.

Thing is, I committed myself to getting on paper the idea I've been kicking around for a magazine article, and to have it ready by the next writer's group meeting. I didn't quite make the deadline - there was a lot of dusting off and revving up in my brain to do between now and then, and family activities seriously cut in to any writing time I had (I hear you, excuses, excuses!) -- but I can now say that it is completed! Well, the first draft is ready for critiquing. Which means I think it's done, but not sure what might be 'wrong' that I can't see, since I'm incapable of editing myself. So time to send it off to the yahoo critique group ANWA has.

I love this writer's group!! They are SUPER organized. I guess if you are around long enough, you figure out how to do it right. It also helps that it's a bunch of women who love what I love, and are encouraging each other, and me now, to reach for our dreams while still putting God and family first. Very cool women. And very SMART. I'm thrilled to be in their company!

But I've digressed. Which I do a LOT.

The point was, in working on the article idea, my love for writing was awakened, and I realized that I needed to blog. I needed a place to write. To put my rantings and musings in a place that might connect with others. Well, more 'others' than just Facebook, where I've been doing most of my ranting. :-)

So, this is my first post on my first blog. Now I have to test how to add a PDF file to the blog so I can then explain it to another member of the group.