Do I want the shirt or the employee?

Should I mention that this is an intern position? No pay, but great benefits! :)

Cookie Crumb

"When the voices wake you up in the middle of the night, turn on the light and take dictation." - Anonymous

I miss my fake people

I've always wanted to write fiction, putting on paper the stories told by the voices in my head. I was always the damsel in distress, saved by the hunky hero. My voices have the best conversations, which I think adds to my skills at dialogue. Some people write what they know, obviously, I write what I hear.

I long for a time when I can focus solely on my imaginary people, when I can control their worlds with my words. Alas, that time is not now, not as much as I'd like anyway. Those of you who are pre-published authors with a full-time day job understand all too well. We sacrifice our writing time to earn a regular paycheck. Fortunately my "real" job is as a writer too.

Working for so many years as a newspaper reporter gave me an edge when it became necessary to become a freelance writer. I care for my bedridden father full-time, and freelance work allows me the freedom to work in the room next to his. We've worked out a system - if I don't come immediately when he calls, he knows I'm on my cell phone doing an interview. If' I'm in the middle of writing an article and he calls, I usually scream "just a minute" down the hallway, finish typing my thought, and hit save. (Not hitting save has horrible results. I can see you cringing at an unpleasant memory you have experienced yourself. I know you know what I mean.)

Freelance work has been plentiful, which I hope comes because of my talent and professionalism. When working on projects, it's important to meet deadlines and give your clients what they want. So far so good on that end.

But the purpose of this post is this - I spend so much time writing stories about real people that I don't get to write about the fake ones. As much as I enjoyed interviewing the man who escaped the killing fields of Cambodia to make a life as a US ambassador, I'd much rather be writing about the daycare owner who falls in love with the hunky librarian who helps her find her father.

I long for the day when I can busy myself with stories of lust, greed, sex, lies, murder and mayhem. Wait, that sounds like I want to be a political reporter. LOL

Anyway, I'm taking some really cool classes and reading a few self-help books for writers, getting myself primed for my fictional debut. My goal is to have a finished manuscript of 100k words to pitch to editors at my RWA chapter's, 2008 Conference At the Beach. Then I hope to have a copy of said published manuscript on the shelves by Christmas so I'll have something to autograph at the booksigning that I always skip. I want to be published and signing by the one my chapter will host next year.

I'm dreaming big, but I learned something important from the Cambodian refugee, Ambassador Sichan Siv. His mother told him, "Never give up hope, no matter what happens." As they fled Cambodia, his mother and 14 members of his family were beaten to death. Siv was the only survivor, coming to America with $2 in his pocket. He picked apples in Connecticut and drove a taxi in New York City, but never let go of the dream that someday he'd be someone important. He went on to work for two presidents with an office in the White House. He never gave up hope, and never let go of his dream.

I will be a published author of romantic fiction. I will never give up hope. I will never let go of that dream.