21 Days of Writing

Three Mondays, Three Fridays, and all the days in between, I have off. No going into work—except in my office!

Yes. It's that time of year when NIU is shut down. All the students are gone—most of them, anyway. And there will be no bus service until January 10th. It's not kind on the checkbook, but hey I'm going in to apply for unemployment.

These past weeks inspiration has been nipping at my heals. So many mornings I've woke up with ideas to fill the third book, as well as the re-writes of this next one of the Sabrina Strong series. I write when I get home, I write when I wake, and while I'm frigging driving the bus—the words are there in my head. I can't wait to get home, get notes down and waiting for these days off has been excruciating.

Any of you who work outside of your home to make money while you write must understand this plight. We all want to just stay home and write. I remember being at a writing workshop and someone asking me what I do for a living. I said it wasn't important what I do to make money. What I am is a writer. You gotta walk the walk and talk the talk, baby.

So, when freed from the job that requires, by the way, my husband and I to get up at 4 a.m. to get ready to drive a transit bus for a college, for 7 hours a day (break service was 6 hrs.). Getting Home today knowing I don't have to get up in the morning at FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE FRIGGING MORNING—I was elated to say the least.

Of course, if I want to get up to write at four a.m., that's totally a different thing all together. Doing what you enjoy, what you love, you would probably work an 18 hour day. Take cat naps, and get up when something wonderful hits you. That's the life of a writer—and most of us can only dream of having that situation for all ways.

And, these 21 days will not all consist of writing every waking moment, of course. There will be down times when I need to do other things, have distractions, like go to the bookstore. Plus the book signing, and I'll arrange an interview with a local paper in between all this, and I now have time to take care of such things.

21 days. It has begun.