We interrupt this writing weekend

For a month or so I worked on a MG novel that was slow going. I mean, reallllly slow going.

Last week, after another frustrating day of writing, I threw my hands in the air and said, I give up. I didn't have all the pieces to write it, and more importantly, I didn't know WHY I was writing it anymore. I just didn't care. It was time to step away for awhile.

But last week I also flipped through my idea journal and stopped at a page I remember writing one day last fall, after I'd read a middle grade novel that really inspired me. The page wasn't anything that made much sense. It was mostly a list of items I liked the idea of including in a story, and that was it.

I stared at the page for a long time and thought, I want to write THIS book. Even though, at the time, I had no idea what "THIS book" was.

I stared at the page, and then out the window, and then at the page again, and low and behold, a bit of a premise came to me. And Thursday, I started writing.

Since Thursday, I've written almost 9,000 words. I am happy again! I am excited again! I care about the story and all the characters and when I'm not writing, I'm still thinking about them. You know what I'm talking about - when you just can't turn it off. I'm there. I'm finally there with something!!

And I'm SO relieved!!!