Projects

I am in Lakeland, FL, which is about 45 minutes outside of Tampa. I'm going to be here for a little while, figuring out my next step. Which of course I've already started doing.

The next cities I'm looking at for residency are Biloxi, MS, New Orleans, LA and Memphis, TN. I think my next driving stint will be along the Gulf and then up the Mississippi. I think. It's a sketchy plan so far, but I've started looking at jobs in New Orleans and Memphis and will probably send out resumes to a couple in each and then hope to arrange a phone interview or two before I make up my mind. But I'd like to be living somewhere by July (not the first, just the month in general) so I've got to get moving on it.

Meanwhile, I've been reading. What a surprise! Have you ever started a book and made the decision to read it twice before you've even gotten very far? I started The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin a day or so ago and it's perfect for me to read right now. She sets goals up for herself each month, in different categories, to try to improve her quality of life by doing things that make her happier. But not just in the moment happy, quality of life happy. I'm reading through it pretty quick right now, because it's good and an easy read, but I know I want to read through it again to really see what she's doing and what's going on.

She's also a writer. Which I suppose should seem obvious since she wrote a book, but there is a difference in being a career writer and writing in a book or two in addition to your real job. I like reading about her choice to leave her law career to really become a writer.

I've said I want to write. And I do. But I don't know how. Poetry is hard to get published since so few people read it, and poetry contests almost all have entry fees.

I wouldn't know how to approach a book. I want to. But I don't know how. What on earth would I write about? What would the story look like? I have the desire to write but nothing to say.

I'm looking into creative writing workshops, even though I don't know where I would go with that either.

Good writers seem to have so much wisdom. I want that. I want to think I have enough of that to write something important. People write about what they know, but what do I know? So very little.

I think I'm going to start practicing. Just to get my voice back and going and hopefully that will take me somewhere.