Big W the first - "motivating and doing"

I'm a writer.  I love to write, about anything, in any format and about a variety of subjects.    Okay, now I'm trying to be an author.   I guess.  I think.  

I've written two novels.  Both are set in Bermuda.   The first was a fluffy mystery/romance.  The second was a darker mystery/thriller.  They were a labor of love, I looked forward to writing and hated when I couldn't find the time to write.  I just published my 2nd one and am very, very excited to start my third.   I write for me.  It keeps my brain active.  But moreso, I just love thinking up scenes, plots, and what to do to my characters next.    Why do I write books based in Bermuda?  Well, I've been there about 12 times.  I love the 'British' feel of the island.   It's comfy, end to end.   The water is gorgeous, and the scuba diving among the shipwrecks around island pulls me back time after time.   The people there are amazing and polite.  I have always felt safe there, no matter where on the island I ventured.   The golf is tough, but I can take it.  Their grass is just 'more dense'   My nine iron has troubles with dense. 

My mom edits my books.  I think the process has brought us closer together.  She did my first one after it had been done and published.  Some dear friends told me it needed work.  I went to mom.  She worked in a school for 30 years and the English teachers brought her stuff to edit, so why couldn't I.    My dad told me that she was really excited and went out and bought a whole carton of red pens.  A carton?  Surely my novel wasn't that bad?   It wasn't.  She was just excited. 

My second book, I gave to my mom in pieces.   Do you as an author want motivation?   After the first 50 pages were edited she bugged me, cajoled me, hounded me for more content.  After 100 pages she pleaded...  "I need to know what happens next!!  Write faster!"    Those words were said about six months ago and I can still hear them as if they were yesterday.   She finally kept after me, motivating me, and I finished the book.   Other friends had read my first one and were politely asking and inquiring when the second was coming out.   It was very nice to hear, but not the same as mom's motivation.

So... now I've seen, I've written.   Now I'm trying to be an author.   Have read a lot about what to do.  Don't really think I'll ever be able to quit my day job and be a full time author.  But that doesn't keep me from trying.   A guy could have a worse hobby.   It's not an obsession.  I pay attention to those in my life that are dear to me, and do little special things for them.   I am well balanced, but I do have an overwhelming desire to have more people find my books and read them.   It's not about the money or prestige, just having your own book (pretty cover, nicely bound) in your hands is pleasure enough for me.  But, it's something I want to do.   So, I've gone on twitter, and now I've been reading about blogging and social blah blah blah networking.   Do you know what?  It's been extremely fun.  I've loved every connection I've made on twitter, and have chatted with some amazing people.

I met one person on twitter that said that I could do a guest blog on their page.  I'm not ready.  I'm not sure if it's an image thing, or reputation, or just the way I was brought up.   I want ANY words that I send to someone to post on their own site to be top-notch.   Interesting, engaging, and above all, entertaining.   So, I'm not ready.   But..... you know what?   Just someone offering for me to post on their blog was all it took.  The motivation and desire to do it.  Get it done.   So here I am.   That was yesterday, and now I have The Big W.    (there is no sexual double entrende in my blog name BTW)... my initials are W.W.W.      

Why did I do it?  Was it because of the kind words of that person?   Yes and no.   I'd been trying to weed through all the things out there that I was reading about.   Tried and sent off a couple requests to some guest blogging sites about travel and such.   Simple things that I could do easily.     So, I had all these things and thoughts rambling around in my head.   That person just seemed to center everything in for me.    A few kinds words, really nothing special, "you could guest post on my blog."    That was all it took.    I spent the next day reading a bunch of their posts on their site.   Very entertaining, insightful, and deeply felt.    Then I knew what I had to do next.   Do my own where I could ramble, experiment, and try this stuff out.  I had asked my IT guy to make a blog on my website (http://www.waynewhicher.com/), but he's too busy and I don't pay him anything, so it will be a few weeks I'm sure.  Then the heavens opened and I saw a small little link up in the corner of that person's site.  'Create Blog'    

Could it be that simple?  Yes.  It was.   Here I am.   Oh, I'm sure I don't have all the links that I should, and that it's not pretty enough yet.   Sexy enough.   Organized to 'truly maximize Social Optimization' or whatever.    Do you know what?  I don't care.   I'm enjoying myself and feel quite alive the last few days.  I only truly feel this good about writing when I sit down to start a novel and try to chart out how to start.  

Energized simply in the "doing."     Not everyone can motivate to do.  But try, and try, and don't sleep until you're happy that you're doing something.   Doesn't have to be the right something.    Never give up.   If you do then you should just spend every night in front of the TV, vegging out, before you have to go to bed, and get up and go to work and do it all over again.  Day in and day out.   Blah, blah, blah.   Not me.

Thank you to my motivators.   Hopefully I can return the favor.  As any intelligent man knows, it's in the giving, not the receiving.   This goes all the way back to elementary school, first girl crushes, and everything else in between.   Kissing, life, love, and just being there for someone to vent to.   The pleasure should be in knowing that you are turned to, thought about, and loved because you care.   Anyone who doesn't get it can get out of my life.   In any relationship that I ever had, I got more pleasure out of making the other person laugh, smile, and shiver moreso than anything else. 

For that one person in particular over the past couple days, I appreciate the kind words.   You weren't trying to motivate me, but you did.   Hopefully someday I will think that my words are as insightful as yours are and I'll send you something to guest on your site.   Until then, I'll enjoy reading your thoughts.   It's a simple thing in life, when someone you don't know, will never meet, and will never talk to other than through words electronically can motivate you.   I guess that is the true power of all these social online things.   

All this stuff I guess makes the world a better place for me.   But then again, I try to stay postive and deal in smiles.   But I'll save the closet romantic thoughts for another day.

My mom would be proud.