The Beginning of a Blog

I'm a writer-at least I like to call myself a writer. I have three unfinished novels that I just can't seem to finish. All three could be really great stories with exciting characters that hopefully will come to life for others somewhere down the road as they've come to life for me. All deal with the music business in some form.

My first unfinished novel began in an attempt to get back into the writing groove I used to be in way back in high school, despite current work and family matters. I hadn't put pen to paper in 11 years and damn, I needed some way to get my thoughts out of my head and onto something concrete. It worked even though I was a bit rusty. Monthly writing classes helped bring the writer back from the depths of decay into the light of day once again. The problem? It took me almost a year to get almost 50,000 words down and then I stopped. Why, I really don't know.

In the back of my mind, I would go over and over it in my head and each time I would look at my story, something I didn't like would always pop out at me. I was consumed with perfecting it before it was even finished. Finally, I put it away for good-well at least for the moment. It's still there, waiting for me to return and I will one day. Right now, the two other unfinished novels are only a couple years old and the story is still fresh in my mind, if only I can get back to them.

My next attempt at writing a novel began after I'd worked at a magazine for a short time where I got to write everyday. It was part of my job description, sort of. I was given the gift of my own monthly column on something I'm a "so-called" expert at-motherhood!! What better way to become a stronger writer than to write a column with a due date? It was an amazing stroke of luck and belief from my editor who thought I was a good writer.

While I worked through the daily tasks my actual job description entailed, I looked forward to the precious moments when I could write something personal and fun for me. I became more confident in my writing abilities and seeing my monthly columns come to life in the finished product of the magazine fueled my inner need to keep on writing till there was nothing left to write about! Like that would ever happen. In this game we call life, how can there never be anything to write about?

The job came to an end but not my love of writing. Just to prove a point to myself, I decided to try NaNoWriMo and see where it would take me. I wrote like a crazy woman for a month. That's the great thing about NaNoWriMo, you don't have enough time to go back and check what you wrote. You only have a month to write 50,000 words or at least try to get 50,000 words. My first attempt failed. I didn't quite make my goal-but I came pretty damn close! Not bad for someone who spent an entire year getting the amount of words down in my first attempt at a novel that it took me only a month to do in my second attempt. It's a much better story also, if I do say so myself. I will finish that book definitely-at least I will once my third novel is finished.

This of course brings me to my third unfinished novel. The baby I worked on this past NaNoWriMo. My main character is still in the front seat with me, waiting for me to finish her story, which is by far my most favorite story yet. A girl of almost 18, a rebel with a daddy who's a famous ex-Rock Musician and a mother who's a former debutante, classic pianist and groupie. It's her coming of age story and I love the story, my characters, everything. Now why in the hell, can't I get back into the story? What's keeping me from finishing it? That is the question that needs to be answered. That is the problem right now. I just have to get to it.