Newsflash!!! Writing is a job!

Who knew?
I know I'm a little slow on the uptake, but it is finally dawning on me how much work being a writer/author is. From doing the actual writing, to researching editors and publishers, not to mention agents, to the publishing/editing process, to then marketing and promoting my own book, booking book talks and signings at schools, libraries, bookstores - getting my name out there in a blog or website...sheesh!!
But the first step is acceptance and now that I'm able to wrap my head around the reality of the situation - thanks to reading the articles in the Children's Writers and Illustrator's Writer's Market book - I am readjusting my belt and going for it. I feel like I'm at my first day of my third job. First two jobs - full time Outreach Coordinator teaching financial literacy to kids. I get to make money and boring economics fun. Second job, part time teacher at a language school teaching English to adults. And now for my third job...I feel like I need a new pencil case or something.
Amazingly, it's the simplest tip that has helped me dive headfirst back into the writing mode. I've got an egg timer by my bed and have been setting it for 15 minutes when I get into bed and write for 15 minutes every night. That doesn't sound like much can get accomplished, but so far I've just been writing up the character outlines for The Asparagus Revival and what a difference those 15 minutes have made! Granny Bea is a complex woman! And I haven't even gotten to her background story of how she learned to make magic asparagus pies. And isn't it intereting that the antagonist of the story is the one I most see myself in, there's a therapy session somewhere in there I'm sure.
But overall, with these 15 min. sessions have flipped a creative switch in me and I am seeing inspiration, ideas and character details everywhere! There aren't enough 15 min. segments in the day to take care of all of them!
I'm thinking I need to add some software to my savings wishlist - Dragon Naturally Speaking. I heard about it at a workshop and it's supposed to allow you to speak your writing to the computer and it types it all in. Hmmmmm. I wonder if it knows how to spell flibberty jibbit. Do I know how to spell flibberty jibbit?

Off to work on my Lazy J animal ranch story. I think Mexico is going to take a back seat to Japan so I'm off to the land of the rising sun.

I leave you with another poem that I sent off to The Iowa Review. Enjoy.


Midnight Pie
By Kelly Hayes

The grandfather
clock is sleeping,
unlike the pair of us,
Grammy and I,
scrounging in the kitchen
for cherry pie,
sweet cherry filling
for the hole left gaping,
even after words,
flowers and goodbyes.
As we crumble the crust
together we agree,
not so much a hole, as
a door gently shut,
and a window flung wide
for souls and
spring breezes.