Thursday’s Thoughts on Writing ~ Meraki it to Me

In December of 2016, when I was last writing (with such intensity that I literally wore the letters off my laptop’s keyboard), I put aside the novel I was writing (#4) to work on a re-write of novel #3 as requested by one of the agents who had requested the full. The re-write was never completed, never re-submitted to the agent, and it all turned into a big, sad pile of squashed dreams. (Thanks, life.)

So, while planning my return to writerly things (it’s not just as simple as sitting down to write, oh, no, not at all), I figured I’d write a short story, read what I had written of novel #4, and then move on to the re-write of #3. Nine hundred words in, the short story stunk so bad that the dogs asked me to leave the room. But the reading of #3? When I had finished the last word written, I typed the next 1000 words. The next day, over 2000. I was back in full force, and it felt incredible. I had 4 fantastic, productive days of writing. I felt amazing. And then  . . . everything else in life got jealous and demanded instant, undivided attention.

*** This is actually the first time I’ve gotten 10 minutes of me time, which does not make me a happy camper. There’s nothing like being on a roll and having it be brought to a screeching halt so soon. But the hard part is over. There is no fear, only ten fingers itching to get back to work. ***

Which brings me to my word of the week ~ meraki [may-rah-kee], because I am aware of no other one word that so accurately describes how I feel when I write. There’s plenty of emotions – frustration, anger, confusion, love, happiness – but the sum of all these emotions together, everything I am and have experienced and possibly everything I will one day be and know, all these things together are the ‘essence of myself’ that I put into my work. Whether it takes another day or another week (there’s no way in hell I’ll let it take another year) until I’m back to the grindstone, my meraki will be write right there waiting to pour itself out on the pages.

What word best describes your writing?