An Inspiring Friend

Last week I was lucky to have my best friend, Holly, visit me for four days.  We hadn't had time together - except by phone and e-mail in about a year - so we made the most of this vacation from responsibilities.  My favorite hours were those spent talking, uninterrupted, about all manner of things.  And during one of these conversations, she mentioned that she missed my blog posts.  "You haven't done one since March," she chided.

I did have excuses for the lapse.  We have moved to a new home in the last month, and that significant change with its multitude of exhausting chores attached, was enough of a distraction.  It meant I had neglected refining my query letter, writing my synopsis, and doing research for my new book.  And blog entries weren't even on my radar.

It's easy as a writer to get off-track.   I was eager to get going on the new novel, to find that perfect agent to sell my first novel, and yet I do allow household tasks, family matters, correspondence, phone calls, the internet, a good book, a long walk, the library - well, you get the idea; there are many things that divert my focus.

But when Holly left, I sat down in my new study - an improvement over my old one - and made a concerted effort to refocus my priorities.  She had given me, without realizing it I'm sure, the "kick" I needed.  I have this wonderful, inspiring new space to work in, lots of projects to intrigue my brain, and I said out loud, "It's time to get to work."

So, in the last week, I've organized notes, sat at the computer and got Chapter One of the new novel on the screen, made some important entries in my personal journal about my time with Holly (and we did have a fun four days!), and now it's time to get the blog on the go again.  So, thanks, my friend, for being an inspiration when I needed one.  Funny how you do that for me often.  And I'll try not to stray too far from center again.