Monday Mug 009 - Popping the Question

Hello Everyone, and welcome back to my Monday mug night. It has been a while since I have spoken to you. For me, the year starts new in October. I am not sure why, but it is what I keep experiencing each year. I feel the need to buy a new planner and start over with my goals for the year.  

I haven’t been very active in my usual communities this fall. I am participating in NaNoWriMo, which is National Novel Writing Month. If you are not familiar with this event, it is a time when writers all around the world come together on a website and write together. They all try to reach a goal of 50,000 words and write together in gatherings nearby or virtually. This year my project is partly a new book I am writing and a rewrite of the one from last year. It is strange because I am usually such a stickler for the rules, but I am allowing myself the grace to break them this year. 

Before November, these last few months have been full of hard reflection. I keep asking myself if I am going to continue writing the way I have been or really go 110% put everything out there. For me, everything means sending my stories out for publishing and really committing to my writing time even more than I have in the past. Most of all, this means being productive with my writing. I love to free write, and it does usual yield a story, but it doesn’t yield any editing. So, I have many stories I need to edit, and some I would like to workshop. 

Needless to say, I feel like I’m either going to marry my writing, or we are going to have to stop dating. You know when you significate other gives you that ultimatum. I have been dating writing off and on for about three years. It is either time to put a ring on it or let the muse move on. 

So what do when writing wants you to put a ring on it? 

1. Can I really live without writing? Is it really something I want to push out of my life instead? Can I live without creating another story, poem, or novel?

2. Give strong consideration to how much I love writing and if I will be willing to fight for writing even when it sucks, and it doesn’t feel like love that day, month, or year.

3. Am I really going to make time to spend with writing? Will I always work more instead or keep cleaning the house instead of spending real time writing? 

4. Do I have the finances to support writing, and will my writing be happy with the choices we make together? 

5. Can writing get along with my family and friends? Is there a balance between writing and others in my life?

6. Does writing bring out the best in me and make me want to be a better person? 

Now some of you scoff at this because why would ever need to look at writing that way. The truth is, for me, it is precisely how I need to look at it. Do I have time for the love of my life and to give it my all?

Writing, will you marry me?

 Yes!

So just write.