“The RoseBouquet”

You might have thought I only have one novel that I ever talk about, right? Well, “published” yes, but my imagination is filled with a whole series of them. I’ve just been trying to get the first one selling well before I divide my attention too finely.

I have been working on the next one in the series, which is where the heroine, Ruthe, finally gets romantic. Marriage and love and a new family come into her life here. Last year I could only take half days off on holidays to treat myself to a novel-writing block of time. This year I’ve assigned my Tuesday nights, when I don’t have meetings related to the tract mission, or other things that preempt that evening.

Last night I got back to it after two Tuesday nights being taken. Oh what fun. I felt like I was indulging in a bubble bath or some private pleasure. The first draft of the book is now more than half written. Naturally, I will be going over it several times as a severe editor, but this first time is when I get to write the story as it unfolds in my imagination, and though I’ve day-dreamed about it often, this is almost like a first-time experience. Such fun!

Who knows, maybe later I’ll find myself editing out these too-pretty scenes, but right now I’m writing for my own enjoyment.

This may be the part wanna-be writers think about when they say they wish they could be a writer. (Mind you, some I think dream only about the fame part that comes AFTER their great book is written). If you are one of them, let me urge you to set aside a block of time as often as you dare, once a month, once a week, or once a day. Write the kind of stuff you’d love to read, and you’ll get so hooked on it you won’t have any trouble sticking to your schedule when you start shifting into serious, professional writing. Give yourself a honeymoon at the start of your writing career (marriage).