The Road I'm on

Robin of Your Daily Dose reminded here recently, that my blog posts have dwindled in quantity.  I’ve struggled with the emotion surrounding that truth and guilt hovers. This is not my swan song.  Maybe it's an apology of sorts, although it feels funny to apologize for traveling a path I want to follow. How about this.  Let's call it an explanation.

I found myself as a writer through Middle Passages.  People who know me will tell you on the outside, I handled the trauma of wrenching unemployment well.  Writing here helped me make peace with the feeling that I’d spent twenty-three years doing the wrong thing only to get tossed aside over the course of one afternoon.  In one hour—out the next.  But inside, I was a jellyfish of “Holy crap” and “What do I do now?”  There is no way I would have managed through it hadn’t spent every morning writing my brains out. 

 

In the midst of that cluster…transition, blogging saved me.  Back then, Middle Passages was my writing.  Oh how I loved hitting “publish” and seeing my words up there, for anyone to read.  Later, blogging led me to other bloggers, who, in turn, led me to toy with fiction.  I wrote flash fiction.  Then I took a what-the-heck whack at a first novel.  Later, it led to freelance writing projects and one of those projects led to the position I currently hold.  And after almost five years of writing nearly every day, I know one truth.  While a job helps provide for my family, writing saves my life. 

When I started Middle Passages, I announced my goal to learn to “use words to their maximum potential.”  I’d rephrase that now. The goal is to reach my maximum potential as a writer.  These days, I write a newsletter for work, provide updates for the local newspaper, catch a freelance magazine article now and again.  And I write for my Grub Street class where I focus on a third novel hoping maybe this one will crack it.  That this will be the one. 

   

With all that, I’m sorry to say, I struggle to find good subject matter for Middle Passages.  I hold myself to a high standard.  I want my posts to hold depth and meaning. I may take up space with photographs, but make no mistake.  This blog has always been about serious writing for me.

So, if you don't see new posts here, please assume I am off somewhere, seriously writing. 

And Robin, dear.  Thank you.