Thursday, August 19, 2010

Someday I'll Write...Really!

I love to write. I enjoy the thrill of hunting for that perfectly-exquisite word, that delightfully-eloquent phrase, that engaging opening line. English essays were some of my favorite assignments in high school and college - really!

With math, everything is concrete. Two plus two always equals four (and only four!), so if you put down 5 or 3, you're 100% incorrect. Not so with writing. I realized early on that, for many teachers, as long as I used proper grammar, attempted correct spelling, and tried to stay on topic, I could achieve, oh, say, 86% or more of a grade, even if I missed the mark a little bit. I loved that.

Now, years after English assignment deadlines have ceased to induce panic attacks, I find that I don't really have the opportunity to write as much as I did once-upon-a-time. (Somehow, I've never found time for writing an essay or research paper just for my own pleasure. I wonder if having three little spark plugs could have anything to do with it?)

I would really like to do more with writing, but I don't know what. I wrote a children's story, but since I can no longer finish the illustrations I began, I've not found too much motivation to attempt getting it published. I've heard of blogging for profit, which would definitely help our income, but there's this tiny little problem of having a consistent subject matter. I think I'd also have to blog more than once a month, too...not to mention gaining a reader audience. Somehow, I can't see that one happening, either.

So, for now, I'm content to bore my few followers with my random updates and topics that I post on my little Blogger site. I really do take pleasure in it (whenever I don't go back and reread them only to discover my mis-spellings, poor word choices, or controversial subject matter). It gives me snippets of opportunity and a tiny outlet for my love of words, and it gives my readers the ability to graciously overlook my many faux pas.

Perhaps someday in the future, around the age of 90, I'll reconsider trying to publish that children's book. :)