Writer's Block

E stared at the blank screen. The screen stared back as if to say 'Hey don't look at me. I'm just the canvas not the paint.' She signed heavily; why was it that when she had time to write nothing came to her? And yet when she stepped foot into the office ideas would pour into her mind so quickly she barely had time to jot them down. They would keep her up when it was time for bed and then wake her up around 3 am again to say hi. Why had she decided that writing was what she wanted to do when she didn't think was that good anyway?

E started writing probably soon after she learned to read and spell; then again her spelling has never been perfected but supposedly most writers are horrible at spelling. Thank goodness for spell check on the computer. She received her first diary (with a lock and key and everything!)  when she was seven. Thus started her writing about her favorite topic; herself. She would write about her friends, cat and boys she had crushes on (yes at seven, yikes!) Of course these were not stories but this was a small step to a future of writing and very entertaining to go back and reread the misspellings, narcissistic comments, and the naivety of the world.

Writing was not something E thought about growing up but she did love to read. The books she read would open up a whole new world to her and broaden her imagination. She continued her diaries throughout high school and still on the same topic; herself.

It wasn't until 10th grade writing class that it was brought to her attention that she had a talent for writing. Mrs. Gum-Hales, her teacher, put pictures of various things up on the blackboard and told the class to pick one, create a story describing what was going on and then share it with the class.
E choose a picture of an elderly black man sitting on his bed with his coat and hat in hand. He had his suitcase behind him filled with clothing and what appeared to be a wedding picture. She started to story with the death of his wife and how lonely he was.  In the picture he was waiting for his children to come and take him to his new home. He was sitting there going through the memories of the house that he shared with his wife for the past 45 years. The story went into detail about his feelings and memories but was vague on the names and ages of the characters and yet it was a very emotional story.

Mrs Gum-Hales asked who would like to go first and E jumped at the chance; when she was finished the room was silent until Mrs. Gum-Hales said 'Wow. Now who would like to follow that up?' She asked E to stay after class and proceeded to tell her that she had a talent for creative writing. She wondered if E had thought about joining the school newspaper and even suggested it to her. She joined the following trimester.

E enjoyed writing for the high school paper but seemed be less enthusiastic about writing articles that did not ask for her opinion. She came to the conclusion that newspaper writing wasn't what she was into but thankful for the opportunity to write more and in a different way than she was used to. The same year her town's local newspaper asked for stories of unique ways people had used duck take. E wrote of the Christmas Dance where she had actually duck taped her strapless bra to make sure it stayed in play (word of advice, just get a new bra next time, ouch!). Her story not only made it in the paper but was on the first page of that section.

She did enjoy writing but changed directions with her creativity; scrap booking. She began telling her stories through pictures instead of words. She continued this throughout high school and into her early college years.
As she entered college the new thing to do was to 'blog' or an online diary. She kept up with this for quite a while but soon it turned into a writing war with an ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend. E was no longer writing for the greater good.

As she great and finally matured (no more blog wars!) she turned her attention on being creative in writing cards to her boyfriend who was overseas. Again these were not stories but still enlisted her creativity to work hard at making each card/letter special and not all sound the same. The one thing that remained true through her life was her love for reading. She had fell in love with authors like Jodi Poicult, Nicholas Sparks and Jane Green. By chance while she was at a second hand bookstore she spotted a book by Jen Lancaster. She devoured it and the first thought that came to mind was 'I want to write like that!' she began hunting books that were debut novels and to see how other writers were doing it. She then started writing books that talked about writing. They all pretty much said the same thing 'To be a writer, you must write'. Well, she thought, it can't be that hard.

E created a blog called 'Author's Note' and debated as to what her first book should be about. She realized that through her life her best stories were about what she knew best; herself. Who would want to read about me though? Mainstream books that were all the rage during this time were memoirs; perfect! She would write about her first job after graduating college and what a nightmare that had turned out to be. She started it but found herself avoiding it. Writer's needed a deadline and yet at the time she wasn't a 'real writer' yet so how could she give herself a deadline? Of course she could just pick a date and say that was her deadline but realistically that date would come and go without another word put on page. She needed a date that was important, one that would keep her writing and yet not be dreaded.

August 10th became her deadline, her grandma's birthday. E's grandma was a driving force as to why she wanted to write. Her grandma seemed to genuinely enjoy her stories which answered her question as to who would want to read her stories; then again it was her grandma so she may have been a little biased. This deadline was kept a secret from her grandma however, she wanted it to be a surprise. She found a website where she could self publish her book; yes a real book! It was ok with her that it may never hit the shelves of Barnes and Noble this a book that would mean not only much to her but to others in her life as well. This was a perfect way to practice writing, learn, and get into the habit of doing it more than once or twice a week.

So Grandma, there you have it. You are currently holding (and reading) my 'Writer's Block'. The funny thing is I am not a fan of short stories and yet my first book is full of them! I decided to write this book in April, so that did not give me much time to write. Of course I went back to what I knew best; myself. Most of the stories are true, some have had elements added or subtracted and even twisted for a more entertaining value. Pardon the typo's, spelling and grammar errors; my editor (Mom) and I worked hard at finding them all but I know there will probably be a few still in here. You are also getting, mostly, first drafts. There are a few stories in here that I worked on more than once but I have found I do not like editing my stories. They are my 'babies' and I find them perfect as they are. I totally understand why writing a book can take up to six months because I know other authors do not enjoy editing their books.

I hope you enjoy it and it should go without saying but this book is dedicated to you. Thank you for cheering me on, not only in my writing but life in general. Oh, and Happy Birthday!