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Writers write about what obsesses them. You draw those cards. I lost my mother when I was 14. My daughter died at the age of six, I lost my faith as a Catholic.When I am writing, the darkness is always there. I go where the pain is.
Anne Rice
Last summer during a weekend at the beach, my husband and I made a trip to a large local super bookstore to find something to read. He scouted the store out and found the section for books about writing. Kind soul that he is, he knew that the budding writer in our family, namely me, might be interested to see what they had to offer for writers.
Whenever I take on a new interest, I tend to read about it – generally a great deal. My interest in writing has been no exception. However, I finally decided that instead of reading about writing, I just needed to write, Many of the renowned books about writing that I have bought are still unread.
However, when my faithful husband steered me to the writer’s section, I did linger through the section to see what they had to offer. The book that I finally decided that I “needed” was “Walking on Alligators, A Book of Mediations for Writers” by Susan Shaughnessy.
Each page offers a quote, a discussion about the quote and a mediation which ties into the quote. The quote above is one of those quotes, the accompanying meditation is:
Today, I’ll spread out my cards and look at them. I’ll pick up the one that draws me most strongly. That’s what I’ll write about.
My computer is still in the shop and they can’t tell me when I will get it back – I won’t bore you with how irritated I am with how long it is taking to get it repaired. However, I am convinced I need to find another place for repairs the next time our computer crashes. Until my computer is back though, I will keep on writing. I have become a writer, you see. I have much to inspire me – adoption is my main focus. Adoption reform specifically has become a burning passion for me. As a birth mother, I can identify with Anne Rice’s “I go where the pain is.”
Oh that sounds like a good book!!