Round Robin, a monthly writing promptThe Writing Bug

Round Robin topic for January: Everybody wants to write a book, but most do not. Writing is hard work. When did the writing bug bite you, and what helps you get through a complete story?

Hm… Writing, creating a world and characters, even when the world is contemporary, fires the imagination and allows us experience things we normally wouldn’t. We escape for a brief time.

Some days, the words flow from my fingers onto the screen like an open fire hydrant. Other days, they seep out in a painful ooze. Every day I manage to add to the words that build my stories I consider a good day.
the writing bug, Round Robin

The Beginning

An avid reader at an early age, perhaps my desire to write was inevitable. The writing bug bit me around ten. It made itself known in a fan fic piece that will never see the light of day. (Not only because I’m not sure where it is, but also because I have no desire to share it…ever. LOL) A dystopian story has been floating around in my brain since that time. I have so many others clamoring to be written I doubt I will ever write it. It’s probably for the best. More than likely, that story has been told a million times over.

Other than poetry, I didn’t write more than essays until I opened Wild Child Magazine in 1999. I adopted a few pen names (Kit Wylde and Rosa Orrore) and wrote a couple of stories. Two of them, Last Chance and Hieroglyphs, eventually became eBooks published by Wild Child Publishing and/or Freya’s Bower.

My Creative Process

I used to claim that I didn’t have time because of my two publishing houses. Now that they are winding down, I no longer have that excuse. (Well, I’m finishing up the last quarterly reports and 1099s. It does interfere with my writing time.) Things haven’t changed much…yet. I struggle to finish stories. My muse starts gung-ho the first chapter or two. The further in I get, the quieter her voice grows until she’s whispering in my ear and I have to strain to hear her. However, the second I turn in a direction she disagrees with, her voice swells to a cacophony of dissent. I cannot ignore her.

Perhaps her whispers stem from the vocal perfectionist inside my head, or that I try to lead her in one direction when she points in another. Or, maybe, I just think too much. LOL Too much analyzing can kill the mood, in more ways than one. (grin)

Your Story

If you write, where did you start? What’s your process?

If you’re an avid reader, have you ever dreamed of writing a book? If so, what keeps you from doing it? (No pressure. I’m curious.)

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