Let’s Not Forget Our Writing Roots: A Personal Reminder by Margo Hoornstra

Fellow Rose J. L. Wilson recently shared on these pages how she’s taken a year off from publishing. Not writing, she was quick to add, just the publishing side of things.

I have to say, that concept really resonated with me.

Especially now. Like many other working writers, I’m deeply embroiled doing all the necessary promotion for the short stories and books I already have published, fulfilling obligations for blog posts, sharing and posting and promoting for others as well.

In addition to all that, I’m in the hunt for a home for my wip romantic suspense series, Brothers In Blue – four police academy grads who share a passion to serve and protect, each in their own unique way. Right now, one of four books, Deceived by Trust is completed and ready to go. I say that rather tongue in cheek. You all know the drill, even though the manuscript is finished and making the submissions rounds, I’m still stressing over whether to insert a comma here and there or not. Re-reading, self-editing, proofing and the like until I can hardly see straight. The second book, Bound by Duty is nearly halfway done and I’m deep into figuring out various plot points, assuring proper character growth and believable story arcs.

In short, the entire process has become work I’m sorry to say.

The third and fourth, Claimed by Pride and Ruled by Honor are mere twinkles in my eye. Exactly what I need to get back to in my writing. The twinkles. The sparks. I need to revisit the joy of writing for the sake of writing in all its unencumbered and freeing glory.

That bud of an idea given an unrestrained chance to blossom. The ‘Aha!’ moment when what a character said or did a few pages back suddenly makes perfect sense. The satisfaction of creating something out of nothing, as it were. The excitement, and anticipation to discover what comes next; even though I’m the one who created these people, places and things. The one who should have all that information, literally at my fingertips; but don’t.

Too bad I temporarily forgot how sometimes it’s simply nice—make that satisfying, rewarding, pleasing, gratifying—to just let go and write. No inner critic with finger wagging and head shaking, no editing worries to bog me down. No story arc dilemmas or character motivation questions to stop me in my creative tracks.

Don’t get me wrong. My quest for publication will go on. So will my quest to rediscover the joy of writing that started me down this published author path in the first place.

For a while though, it’s going to be just me and the words. Right, wrong or indifferent; and in whatever order they happen to fall onto the page. I’ll do my darnedest to try that for a while as I move on. How about you?

Please take a moment here to reflect with me on more than just writers and their writing. As always, and especially today, my heartfelt gratitude to the brave men and women who put their lives on the line day after day, simply to serve and protect the rest of us. Thank you.

My days to blog here are the 11^th and 23^rd. For more about me and my stories, please visit my WEBSITE