So I went to a writing conference this summer. It was great, partly because I learned how to rip my writing apart. But, in the process I became a little confused and I asked myself, "When is too much too much?" Writing one story that I loved and then tearing it down to it skivvies got me to thinking if maybe I took the voice of my story clean out of the picture. In essence what I learned is that you can edit yourself to death and you could take a great story and smash it to smithereens, leaving you with a likable story but not a lovable story. I also realized that the procurement of a picture book manuscript is subjective to the nth degree. For every person that sees that a story is not the right fit, is a person that might love it. So, I put my hands to the keyboard and write because I love it and that is all that matters.

Picture Book Marathon here I come. I don't know when, where or how I'm going to do it, but I'm going to try. It's always amazing to me what comes out of my brain when I force myself to write it down. So, here's to a month of cracking my brain to see what oozes out. Woot!

I Choose to Write

I often wonder why some things motivate me more than others. I also wonder why the things that motivate me most, pay the least, or not at all. So, I have to ask myself, do I give up my dream of writing, or do I keep plunking away word by word, hoping and dreaming of some day seeing my words in a book put on a shelf. Read by a child who laughs at what I've written. And through that, reader and writer are connected, by the small but mighty words on a page.

I choose to write. I choose to write, because for some reason, it puts a smile on not only my face but on the face of my children. So, I continue to plunk away at my keyboard and scribble on my note pad, for it is 'better to dream than to never dream at all'.

To all those wanting to give up and get a real job, don't. Everyone has a story and it's only yours to tell.