January 15, 2013
We’re Back!
And just in time. Write Anything has barely shut its doors and already I’m off-balance, like getting over the tips of my skis or being stuck in a kindergarten classroom all day. You can only say WTF so many times a day before you decide to start drinking. But I don’t drink.
I could get used to it–not writing fiction–but why would I want to?
Don’t get me wrong–I’m still writing, in fact, over eight hours a day. When I’m not doing my day job–teaching–I’m writing columns and reviews and articles and blogs and lesson plans, but what I get little chance to do is
write creatively.
My novel–a techno thriller–is with an agent and I’m afraid to start the sequel because if–WHEN–a publisher arrives, they will make changes and I don’t want my head into a different plot. So I am writing everything BUT creatively.
Thanks to the Universe, I now have Today’s Writer.
A little more about me since we’re going to spend some time together. I’m a techie geek (if you have computer questions, drop by my blog, Ask a Tech Teacher. Last year, I had almost a million visitors and still answered every question sent my way). I write columns and blogs and reviews for Cisco, Amazon. TeachHub, and a few others and my published tech books are doing quite nicely. I am a (proud) geek. It provides order, rigor, expectations. I like those.
But I like variety, too, so on Today’s Author, I’ll be contrary, argumentative, sometimes disorganized, maybe analytic and likely opinionated. Writing is my escape. I can lose hours–literally–sitting at the computer. I start with tons of time and end up rushing to finish the last bits before I have to shut down for the night. Does that happen to you? Does a character drag you away, monopolize your consciousness until their world seems more real than yours? Yes, I see it in your eyes. You have the bug, too. It is a firewall against boredom in the world. As you research to understand your character, her/his motivations, needs, goals, do you find yourself always wanting more? And when that topic pops up in the real world, you are an expert on it. Right?
That’s because you are a writer. And that explains it all.
Welcome to my world. I look forward to seeing yours.
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com, Today’s Author and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, Cisco guest blogger, Technology in Education featured blogger, IMS tech expert, and monthly contributor to Today’s Author. She is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum, creator of technology training books for middle school and ebooks on technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
