Hey there Random Thinkers,
I thought I should check in and explain my extended absence. Although by the sheer fact that not one of you came looking for me, I humor myself to think I NEED to explain my absence. It's not like I'm the only blog in town I know.
Here's the scoop. I'm writing a book. Yea, what blogger isn't.
I've been writing this book in my head for almost a year. It's only been in the last 3 months that I can say it out loud. Just seeing the sentence, I'm writing a book in black and white makes it real. I've put it out into the universe and now I have to do something with it.
I planned the debut of my "I'm writing a book phase." I sat with a great pen and a full tablet and I began to release all of the random thoughts, categories, stories, chapter headings, reasons, and cover ideas onto paper. It was a scary looking, mind mapped, spider web. The more I wrote, the more ideas came, the more excited I became, the more real it is. I began picking up the phone and calling people I wanted to interview and get help from. I sent emails asking to schedule time with them. The act of picking up the phone and sending out the emails made it more than a doodling exercise with purpose. It made me an author. Somehow this was important to me for the process to evolve and grow.
I've called myself a writer since 7th grade in Mrs. Garvey's class. I've been writing a journal and a blog for years. Writing is fun. Writing is non threatening. Writing is a hobby. I love being a writer and sometimes you give me feedback that says you even like to read it.
Being an author feels different. By calling myself an author, I feel more responsible for my craft. I feel accountable to produce something. I feel responsible to produce something with purpose. I feel responsible to take a years worth of ideas, sort them into an outline that makes sense and fill in the gaps so one day I can actually sit down and write. Write with purpose and write for a cause I believe in.
You see since I made that switch in my head, from writer of random thoughts, to an author, I am spending more time organizing those thoughts and doing lots of research to fill in the gaps. It's kind of like saying you're pregnant, 9 months from then, you better produce a baby. The gestational period for my book is likely way more than 9 months, but I now need to produce something and that's where I've been.
Rebecca Hession
Author
Not Wrong, Just Different
"coming soon to a bookstore near you"
