Hi everyone,

I’m sorry that, once again, my posts on this blog have been sporadic. Originally, I started this blog for two reasons: to inspire me to write again, and to track my progress as I prepared to fight in the ring. I thought it might be interesting to share the process, which would also keep me accountable.

In many ways, the original purpose has been fulfilled. I finished a new novel, and I finally had my first fight. While I still have goals, they are very different from what they were when I started this blog. Currently, I’m obsessed with finding a new place to relocate in the next few years (still in search of a life less ordinary), and rewriting Dragonfly Summer so I can submit it to agents and publishers. As much as I love kickboxing, and will continue to train on a regular basis, I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that my plan was never to be a professional kickboxer. I want to be a full-time fiction writer, which requires…yep, you guessed it: writing.

One of my favorite blogs was written by a literary agent who told it like it is–in a big way. So much so, she went by the moniker “Miss Snark”. Hapless writers would send her questions, and on one occasion, a writer asked about blogging, and what was appropriate to post. This was Miss Snark’s response, which I feel is appropriate to share here. Substitute “Facebook” for “MySpace” and the meaning is still the same.

Since when is it your job to be inspiring to other writers?

Your job is to write.
Unplug the damn internet and get to work.
If you need to buy another computer that doesn’t actually hook up to the net, do it.

Blogging is not writing.
Looking at MySpace is not writing.
Friending on MySpace is not writing.
Posting chapters and feverishly checking for comments, then obsessing about comments, and parsing out the hidden meaning of comments like “this blog is great. Have you enlarged your penis yet? Here’s my blog that tells you how” is not writing.

Checking site meter stats to see if anyone from NYC is reading your blog is not writing.

There’s a lot to be said for sitting down with your ownself and writing. Nothing, literally NOTHING replaces that. Focus. You’re wasting time.

And don’t post your work on the web. It’s not silly or savvy. It’s pointless.

***
So please forgive me if I don’t post as often as I used to. I’ll still post, especially when I have something to say that’s worth reading about, but I’m not going to hold myself to the same insane five-days-a-week.

The reason for my absence is simple: I’m actually writing.

What have you been up to, my Dear Friends? I hope 2012 is treating you well.