On Writing

It occurred to me yesterday as I was driving home that some of my new Invisible Friends have no idea who I am.

They know I am crazy about Bitty and Bear, the two Chihuahuas that rule my life with a fuzzy iron fist.

They know I adore Ben, though they may not know who he is. (My husband!)

They know that I talk to spiders, consort with ladybugs and have conversations with everyone's favorite obnoxious insect, the Ginormous Lime green Unusual Gnat (GLUG.)

But you don't know why I write, what I write or if I'm simply a lunatic that manages to get ahold of a keyboard with an Internet connection every few days.

Well, I write because I have to. Since 4th grade when I declared I would be a writer and illustrator, that's always been my main goal in life. My day job changed from day to day (ever practical, I knew I would need a day job at the age of 9,) but my overall dream never changed. In fact, let's not call it a dream. Let's call it an inevitable occurrence. Because eventually my nagging query letters will wear down some agent or editor until they are forced to love me and my work and let me run rampant publishing whatever thought comes into my head.

Currently, I write children's fiction--specifically middle grade fiction and young adult. For not literature snobs, that means books for children 8 to 20. I do have a picture book based on a blog entry called "If I was a dog," being submitted to companies. I've gotten a lot of good responses, but with the current economy, companies are skittish about taking on a brand-new author for a picture books. But several agents and editors have expressed interest in further work, so hooray!

I didn't always plan on writing children's fiction. About two years ago, I sent off a ton of imaginative stories to magazines and publishers. I also sent off a women's fiction (for adults) novel called, The Reluctant Bride, which was about a girl fighting a traditional marriage and her bridezilla maid of honor. They were rejected, and I got depressed. I then wrote a women's fiction novel about a couple falling in love from a dog's point of view. It got a lot of attention, but no bites. I'm still holding on to it though. I'm going to revise it so it's even better (e-mail me if you want details), then send it off again.

During my depression over the letdown of my women's fiction novel, I started working on a book for children about a little girl who finds a dolphin in her swimming pool. For the first time in a long time, I was excited about writing again. What started as a short story became a longer story and turned into a 150 page book for kids. Like Missing Wings, I had this intense drive and need to finish it. Currently, it's being revised and then I'll send it out to publishers.

I could do this forever. Write a story, revise, revise some more, revise nine more times, send out letters, get rejected, revise five more times, send out more query letters, etc.

But I've got a new idea. I need your help to write a book.

Yes, your help.

Since most of you voted for trying Missing Wings through lulu.com, I've got a brilliant idea. I want you to help me shape the book into it's final form. We can brainstorm about plot ideas, talk about cover art, characters, illustrations, scenes, why I'm crazy, whatever you would like. I can post certain sections I'm having trouble with and ya'll could vote and comment.

Excuse me, you're thinking. What's in it for us?

Let me tell you what's in it for YOU, dear Invisible Friends!

This would be the first book ever to be written with input by the blogging community.

Is that not the coolest thing ever? Aren't you tingling with excitement?

Think about it. You can design your shoes, you can design your recipes, you can design your home. Why not have input on a story that entrances you and makes your toes tingle? It'd be like getting a front row seat in a author's brain as she puts a story together.

Now, you won't see the whole book. You'll have to buy it to see what really happens. Because, after all, I am a professional.

Right.

So, please, Invisible Friends, spread the word! Tell your friends, your mom, your menopausal boss and your unresponsive son! Tell your other blog friends, bloggers you admire or even your 80-year-old grandmother who keeps trying to take a lighter to your computer because she thinks you're saying "log."

Because, I think this is a marvelous creative adventure for us all. After reading your blogs, I realized there's a caring community of men and women out there who support and cheer on one another. You support each other's Etsy shops, your culinary endeavors and your long days of teaching. Imagine being the forefront of a new kind of literature. Imagine working together to create a book that's better than discovering a hidden journal in the corner of an old attic.

You see, I have other ideas. Great ideas. And if this all works out, we might be able to whip up something every woman needs in her life.

Spread the word, Invisible Friends! We're going to have a literary adventure! Are you with me??

And if you want to know more about why I'm a writer, why I call myself the Blonde Duck or if I'm "special," don't hesitate to e-mail me. Just leave a comment and I'll send you my e-mail.


(Don't worry. Tomorrow there's a new Land of the Flowered Bed and fun stories will resume!)