I sort of told myself a while back that I was giving myself a break from writing until I moved into my new place, settled down, got everything set up, and could get into a nice groove. But then yesterday I realized my internet had gone out. I had told TWC not to turn it off until the 13th, but no matter what I did I could not get fix the problem. I resolved that my internet was no more, unplugged the box, and packed it away with my cable box to be taken back to TWC later this week. Since I had no TV and no internet, save for the 3G on my iPhone, I decided to clean up my netbook’s hard drive and simultaneously read my new issue of Writer’s Digest that’d come in.
As I was glancing through the magazine, I cam across some inspiring writing prompts, but instead of using those, I decided to open a Word document to start writing a short story I’d been wanting to write since returning from New York in July. I only wrote a little over 300 words, but the voice of my character felt genuine in a way that I knew I’d want to go back to him, and by writing through him, I discovered other characters that needed narrative turns in this story. I couldn’t believe it, but I was actually excited about writing again. I didn’t want to wait until moving into my new place before getting started on new projects.
I realized that even though I have a lot coming up alongside my job – moving out of my apartment, moving into a house, starting an internship with a magazine, all while maintaining my blog and the various social media sites I frequent – I can’t not write something that wants to be written. Or, better yet, I can’t not write something when I’m aching to start writing again. I even want to start back on my other story I decided to take a break from earlier this summer. Then there’s that novella I started at Starbucks on my lunch break last week. Plus, I have a short story I wrote a year and a half ago that needs revising and submitting to whatever literary magazine will take it. Even though there’s a lot going on, when you’re passionate about something you find a way to make time for it. And I want to make time for my writing. I miss it. Especially in all the chaos.