Tonight the NFL season kicks off, so I figured it was a good time to kick off my blog as well.
I recently had an epiphany, you see. I find that most of my mom friends kind of just go into this mom-shell for a while. Sometimes it is just until they are able to sleep more than 2 hours at a time. Sometimes they are in it until their baby goes to college. Mine lasted almost exactly eight years.
Not that I suddenly have less to do as a parent, mind you, but I feel like I've kind of hit a groove. I have my oldest two in school all day and my littlest man is pretty easy-going. I've hit a stride with my job (which I do from home) and have it under control. Our other activities are second nature at this point (soccer, parish council, etc.). So I had time to take a breath and think about me.
And here is what I thought..."I need a creative outlet!" Back in high school, I was in speech and I was a theater major in college. Theater is just not an option at this point. We have too much going on to try to throw a rehearsal schedule in there. So, I did some brainstorming and came to a conclusion that is, apparently, not all that unusual. I wanted to write for children.
I started to do some research and realized that a lot of stay-at-home-moms (SAHMs) also have this aspiration. It is a logical fit. I'm around kids all day. I love reading them books. In fact, I love books in general. I'm always thinking, "I could write that!" I'm a decent writer.
But then I did more research and quickly realized this is much more complicated than just deciding I want to write for children. I need some background, information, education, drive, connections, luck, time and skill. But that hasn't scared me away.
I've joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). I'm going to my first conference in a month. I'm checking out every book I can about writing (I even purchased a few!). I'm making friends in the writing world and reading blogs and websites of writers/editors/agents. I've recently joined a critique group. I'm writing and re-writing and re-writing stuff. I'm submitting things to magazines and editors. And I'm starting this blog to document the journey!
I love it! You are so much fun and so interesting ... I'm thrilled to have this new blog to read about both your ramblings and your deep reflections! You go girl!
ReplyDeleteI am sure you will succeed at anything you put your mind to. You certainly have a creative flair as well as a bit of an artistic one as well. I loved my sophomore college Christmas present.
ReplyDeleteJust remember: the mundane can be magical!
love it megan! you will do great!!
ReplyDeleteIt would be awesome to read a book to my kids and say "Hey, I know this author!" (Don't worry, you have a LOT of time to write this book ;)
ReplyDeleteFabulous! I've had that aspiration, as well. I wish you the best of luck! When you're a big success, maybe I'll be out of my mom-shell and you can be my mentor!
ReplyDeleteGreat kickoff! I also love the bamboo. Did you know that writing and bamboo have a lot in common? When you plant a bamboo seedling, it shows no sign of growth for the first four years, even when you water if faithfully. But during the fifth year, it shoots up 80 feet. In one year! Like bamboo, we writers need to spend a lot of time developing a strong root system. We WILL see results if we are diligent!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I said on our writing site that I didn't know how to leave comments. I guess I've never noticed the big "Post a Comment" section. Oh, my, I should figure all this social media stuff out soon! Good luck on your blog.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the blogosphere! I'm sure you'll find it as fun and supportive as I have. Good luck!
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