Tabitha; human, wife, mom, writer.

About two years ago,  I woke up from an unusual dream and had the urge to write.  Not just write it down, but develop it into a story; like a legit novel.  With all of the creative energy flowing like a geyser, I got to work on writing about six pages of a novel right way...how Stephenie Meyer of me, no?

And then life started happening; I got pregnant, we moved, we got a dog, we had the baby, you get the point.  But if you know me, generally "life" doesn't stop me from finishing a to do list.  So if I'm going to be really honest (and as a blogger, I think that's sort of the blogger's code), I got to the point of being a little afraid.  I can write on the blog and say whatever I want, because I am just writing about my life.  It is what it is and there can't be any harsh critiques of how I live my life.  But this writing, this is coming from inside of me.  The writing is a reflection of talent (or not).  The words are my own ideas strung together to  snag a stranger's interest. That's a whole lot of room for negative reactions and bad first impressions.  Put to the point - that's pretty scary.  So its been over a year since I've done any writing towards "my book," whether it was life or just plain fear that has kept me away - I've stayed away. 

But just recently, I discovered my first writing and really became engulfed in the words again and was like, "geez, I wish this joker of an author would finish this because I'd like to know what happens." hah, newsflash scaredy cat - it's you.  Add to that, my mom is on my case to keep writing (thank you, mum for pushing me!) So, I have set a goal for myself that is pretty ambitious; to finish the novel in the year 2011.

To jump into the undertaking of writing a novel without any prior training or experience feels awfully arrogant of me.  I think that is also holding me back, that voice inside of me that keeps saying, "you're not a writer, Tabitha."  So I found myself breathing heavy and frantically flipping through the pages of writing books while on my mum's first night off.  When it got to the point where I was holding several writer's manuals in b&n, I literally thought, "You need to get out of here; this is dangerous."  I'm talking about that giddy, breathless feeling that I only remember having when cute boys were coming over to ask me to slow dance in middle school.  Seriously, I'm THAT nerdy.  The moment I started researching how to write a novel I started to immediately feel more confident.  The books that I selected (see links) are amazingly helpful and insightful.




And now that I have some writing reference books within my grasps, I am ready to start the writing process again.  Only this time more equipped and better organized. Your First Novel has great starting chapters on how to prepare your left & right brain for writing (soo creepily obsessed with it).  And The Writer's Little Helper has amazing tools for pushing your writing to be even greater.   strongly recommend either (or both!) to anyone thinking about starting to write. 

I am going to try to commit to write Tuesdays and Thursday nights and Sunday mornings.  At least for a little while.  Little by little I am hoping to be able to finish my book by the end of December!  I am still scared and nervous, but mostly I feel excited for the challenge.

As Your First Novel says, "The best remedy for the fear of writing is writing."

FAQ
Q:  What is your book about?
A:  Sorry, I can't say because the backbone of my book is fairly unique, so for the sake of making a good first impression, you'll have to find out when its all finished and you read it.

Q:  Okay, fine.  Then what's the genre?
A:  Fantastical romance...I might have just made that genre up.

Q:  Oh goodness, more vampires?
A:  No.  No vampires, or werewolves, or time travelers.

Q:  Anything else?
A:  The point of view is from a man named Ben.

Q:  Where'd you get this ultra secret book idea?
A:  Actually, I had a dream about my late grandma and I attribute the idea to her.  She came to me in a dream and inspired me; just like she always has.

Q:  Do you need help?
A:  Yes, actually.  I need help by having people reminding me to finish the book.  In the future, I'll need early readers that will give honest feedback.  I'll keep you posted, if you're interested.  Until then, keep hounding me to write, please!

Q:  Will you blog about your writing?
A:  Yes, but I think more about the writing process.  I am seriously so inspired by all the tips I'm getting from these books.  So, if you were ever thinking about writing - let's do it together!!