I have a confession to make.
I -- Madelyn Alt, Author -- am not always in the mood to write.
I know. I know! I have been blessed with this crazy, wonderful, chaotic career. A career any working writer would be proud to call their own. It is the least I can do to give it my full attention. The depth and breadth of my energy. The last shreds of mojo I have in me.
And I do. Much of the time.
Sometimes, though, life throws these little temptations my way. You know what I'm talking about. Like a sunny summer day with the bluest of cloudless skies that not-so-subtly sends a sparkling, come-hither invitation through your open windows. Come outside and play, why don't you? You have to admit, it would be almost criminal not to give in to the urge to take the pooches out for a long walk on a day like that. Or how about those moments when I sit down to write and one of my Meezer girls instantly decides that's the perfect opportunity for some quality facetime. It's not an easy thing to resist the unrelenting headbutts of a Siamese cat, let me tell you. And then oftentimes the distractions stem from one of my boys who has something important he wants to share with me and cannot wait another moment to do just that. It's so easy to get lost watching the thought processes play across their young faces, the dance of laughter in their eyes. So easy to lock the computer down safely from mischievous Meezer paws and errant puppy noses and listen to my sons tell their tales with my heart in my throat, wondering how I got to be so lucky. So easy to just exist within the moment.
Life. I have to say, I kind of enjoy living it. Really living it. It keeps me from getting too serious; from taking myself too seriously. It is rather a matter of perspective. That is not to say I don't have worries, doubts, and fears working to drag me back down into the mire, just like everyone else. I do. But the less I let them have their way with me, and the more I pay attention to the good things around me, the more their hold on me seems to lessen, and the more energy and focus I have when I do put my fingers to keyboard. The writing, I have discovered, will be there for me when I need it to be, better than ever for the distractions and temptations that I allow to steal my attention from time to time. Paradoxically so.
What about you? What tempted you today, and did you give in to the moment?
Love to all,
Mad {madly!}
Friday, January 23, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Feathering My Nest...
Happy New Year to all! With 2009 now firmly underway, I thought I'd take a moment to update everyone on what's been going on around here.
Book 5 in The Bewitching Mysteries now has a title: WHERE THERE'S A WITCH, due to be released 7/3/09. Revisions came in over the holidays, but they are done, done, done, and I'm glad, glad, glad. My editor is a wonder and has the best suggestions, always, for little ways to make things clearer, better, bigger. With those out of the way, I am easing my way into Book 6.
What else have I been doing? Feathering my nest -- in other words, remodeling! One of our bathrooms is in the middle of a much-needed revamp, and while it's admittedly a little distressing to glance in the open doorway to find that you can look straight through the open floor joists clear to the basement, in the end it will all be worth it. The crew is actually working faster than I had expected; they just started on Wednesday, and should be done by Wednesday or Thursday of next week. While they are doing that, the family and I have been adding some much-needed color to our home. We've put the finishing touches on three rooms, have a fourth nearly done, and have a couple more rooms to evaluate. Not that Castle Alt will be a finished project when the rest of the rooms are painted, by any means. There is always something that needs done. Usually many somethings, just waiting their turn to hit the top of the priority list.
Still, it feels good to have the painting out of the way, at least. It's a little early for this to qualify as spring cleaning, but that's being accomplished as well as a byproduct of moving the furniture to the center of the room, sweeping cobwebs, cleaning or completely updating light fixtures, removing drapes, vacuuming corners. By the time spring actually arrives, my home should be in pretty good shape. :-)
Wishing you all only the best and brightest of blessings in the upcoming months,
Mad {madly!}
Book 5 in The Bewitching Mysteries now has a title: WHERE THERE'S A WITCH, due to be released 7/3/09. Revisions came in over the holidays, but they are done, done, done, and I'm glad, glad, glad. My editor is a wonder and has the best suggestions, always, for little ways to make things clearer, better, bigger. With those out of the way, I am easing my way into Book 6.
What else have I been doing? Feathering my nest -- in other words, remodeling! One of our bathrooms is in the middle of a much-needed revamp, and while it's admittedly a little distressing to glance in the open doorway to find that you can look straight through the open floor joists clear to the basement, in the end it will all be worth it. The crew is actually working faster than I had expected; they just started on Wednesday, and should be done by Wednesday or Thursday of next week. While they are doing that, the family and I have been adding some much-needed color to our home. We've put the finishing touches on three rooms, have a fourth nearly done, and have a couple more rooms to evaluate. Not that Castle Alt will be a finished project when the rest of the rooms are painted, by any means. There is always something that needs done. Usually many somethings, just waiting their turn to hit the top of the priority list.
Still, it feels good to have the painting out of the way, at least. It's a little early for this to qualify as spring cleaning, but that's being accomplished as well as a byproduct of moving the furniture to the center of the room, sweeping cobwebs, cleaning or completely updating light fixtures, removing drapes, vacuuming corners. By the time spring actually arrives, my home should be in pretty good shape. :-)
Wishing you all only the best and brightest of blessings in the upcoming months,
Mad {madly!}
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