I’ve been a conscious writer for over 10 years.
By saying ‘conscious’ I mean that I actually have files and notebooks in which I’ve kept written ideas, perspectives and philosophies about my own life, the lives of young children and other people’s lives.
I’ve been consciously blogging live for 4 months! Yikes!
As a therapeutic tool I started a daily journal when my husband was in hospital, from June 6th 1999, 8 years ago. I kept it up daily until Book 3 (I was by his bedside all day and every day of his 70 day hospital stay; he was in a coma for 50 of those days — what else was I going to do?!).
After two days in a nursing rehab center (72 days after his initial emergency surgery) we brought him home – to die we thought. From then on I became nurse, companion etc etc – I did everything. There was barely time to keep my journal. But he’s survived and looks pretty good these days, even if I say so myself!
A friend said I should destroy the journal once he was home and getting better! No way!
Of course I haven’t read it since but it may become a book one day. I just couldn’t destroy it. (That may be because my maternal grandmother destroyed the 4 plus years of wartime letters my parents exchanged). We don’t throw much away in our family!
This is my 73rd blog article – albeit the majority of articles are not online yet. I write nearly every day on some topic or other. Does it make me a writer when I have writer’s block or I’m not happy with the flow of the writing? Perhaps so.
In September I’m going to a writer’s group meeting for the first time. Other than what I’ve gleaned from three half day writing classes given by local authors and going to book readings by the published authors my husband loves to read I haven’t had any instruction on being a writer.
I have confirmed that I write and spell in two languages – English English and American English – the author I mentioned that to didn’t, or couldn’t, believe me but others in attendance who were foreign born knew what I was talking about. After all, even our spoken languages are different and have different nuances, why wouldn’t our written languages be different too?
Sometimes I feel as though I don’t know which language I’m writing in. Spellcheck usually corrects my English spellings automatically. I try to use them on this blog!! Just because I can!!
But at least I’m writing. Where it will lead I don’t know. Perhaps a novel about my experiences, maybe a ‘how to’ book for caregivers or parents – but there are loads of those around – either way I’ll have to find the ‘hook’.
I’m a writer!