Bug Bites & More

I’ve been bitten by a bug – the writing bug.

Well, after 7 days in the mountains, I’ve also been bitten by a ton of mosquitoes, but that’s not the point.

Where was I? Oh, yeah, the writing bug. It’s not really a new thing for me. I was bitten long, long ago. I have written a few things thru the years and have had them published even.

• A newspaper article about Mom.
• Step Parenting Today – ah, my baby. More on this later – it was a magazine I created when my stepsons were young.
• Articles for trade magazines for various jobs I had.
• Newsletters and stuff

Let me add a disclaimer here. I’ve never taken a writing class. Unless high school English counts.

And it doesn’t. Believe me.

We read books and wrote book reports. I didn’t learn how to write in high school.

I didn’t take any writing classes in college either. I barely went to college, but that’s another story.

But I always had a secret desire to write.

“I’m an author.” Doesn’t that sound romantic, or accomplished, or something?

It does to me.

Through the years various psychics, astrologers and the like (okay, so I’m weird – don’t judge), told me I needed to write.

Astrology: Mercury (planet of communication) on my Ascendant (personality)

Note: yes, this is an aspect for a writer, but it also makes one talk incessantly. Guilty, as charged.

Psychic talking: You have a Writing Guide. Do you write?

Me: No, not really.

Psychic: You need to write.

I could go on, but you get the drift. I’ve had a lot of people tell me to write.

Okay, but besides weirdoes and my mother (You need to write romance novels!), no one with any serious writing experience advised me.

Then I started blogging last year. Not exactly Pulitzer prize-winning stuff. More like descriptions of my paintings.

Big deal.

But a year ago I reconnected with my best friend from school. We’d lost touch over the years but reconnected after a tragedy in her family.

She had read a few of my blog posts.

“You need to start writing!”

Ok. Now I’m inspired!

Why would a comment from a girlfriend inspire me? How about because her first book was published last year. And then another one this year. And she’s under contract for her 3^rd that’ll come out in 2011. Wahoo!!!

I’ll listen to Caroline. She’s a published author. A real, honest-to-goodness, true-to-life author.

Plus, she’s not a weirdo.

So last summer when I saw Caroline, that bug bite started itching again. I even started a romantic story – {gulp}. (I’m about as romantic as a rock.)

I haven’t gotten very far with it.

I just kept plugging away on my blog. But I was running out of material. I couldn’t paint fast enough to post regularly.

So I decided to write about other bloggers paint projects. And I did. I was aiming to be THE blog about paint.

After all, I love painting. I love decorating with paint. Surely, there must be a lot of people who’d find it interesting. Right?

Surprisingly, a lot of you did.

Then last week, I’m bloghopping, looking for paint projects. I head over to Google Reader for the first time in a long, long time and come across PioneerWoman.

If you’re into blogging at all, you’ve probably heard about Ree Drummond, aka Pioneer Woman. Hugely popular blog. Author of Pioneer Woman Cooks – all over the internet last year.

I read one of her posts and chuckle. She’s a funny writer. I couldn’t even tell you right now what it was about. I just remember laughing. Out loud.

I read some more. The more I read, the more I itched. That bug bite was festering now.

I wondered, is my life interesting enough to write about? Can I write funny, entertaining posts? The few times I’ve written personal posts is when I get the most comments.

Hmmm, maybe, just maybe, I’m on to something.

I read some of Ree’s posts to Mom. And, of course, she says, You could write like that. She is my mother, you know.

Then she says, Didn’t that psychic tell you to write? Didn’t that astrologer tell you to write?

Why, oh why, did I bring all this up to Mom?

But she’s right. I have been told all thru my life to write.

And wouldn’t you know, this all happened right when Caroline was in California for a visit (and to promote her 2nd book), right when Mom & I went to the cabin for a week (with no internet or TV distractions), and right when I am totally bored writing about paint projects.

I wrote when I was on vacation. A lot. It was easy, being where I spent my childhood summers. Lots of memories, lots of stories.

I scratched the itch and you know how good that feels when you’ve been itching and itching and you finally let loose and just scratch the dang thing?

Of course,I’ll continue painting. And writing about paint. But I’ll also sprinkle in some posts about my life.

(I’ll try and make them funny, but don’t hold me to it.)

So here I am. Mural Maker and More. The “More” part being posts about my life – past, present, and future.

I mean, Mural Maker & The Bug Bite just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?