~ Among Friends ~

'What things there are to write, if one could only write them. My mind is full of gleaming thoughts, gay moods and mysterious moth-like meditations that hover in my imagination, fanning their painted wings. But always, the rarest, those streaked with azure and the deepest crimson, flutter away beyond my reach.'

                                                                       - Logan Pearsall Smith

And so there you have it in a nutshell. The hope of every writer, as they sit down to face the page; the hope that this day they will capture the thoughts swirling in their mind and heart. That they will ensnare the 'perfect words' once and for all.
But oh, 'those perfect words, ' are elusive creatures.That is why many days I feel as if I'm walking around with a giant butterfly net, in my desperate attempt to sneak up on them and catch a few for my own private collection. But one must be quick, for they are always quicker. I'ts my job to chase them, and their job to elude being pinned down on my pages. So the two of us enter the daily dance.

As I've mentioned to friends before, writing is a lonely pursuit. Shut away for hours on end in your little room you begin to doubt if there's anyone else in the world but you and your characters on the page. So you shout out the window;
"Hello, Hello, hello"
"Anybody there, anybody, anybody"
"I said HELLO, hello, hello."
And the answer returns to me; "Shut up, shut up, shut up."

Well now there's no call for that, that was just rude!! Anyway because of the hours spent in solitary confinement, it was especially nice to attend a writers conference, last Saturday. The conference was put on by ORA (Ozarks Romance Authors) but fiction writers of every genre were free to attend, and happily did so. It was a thrill to spend the entire day surrounded by like-minded people, who spend their days wrestling with the English language. Rubbing elbows with other authors in various stages of the writing world, from those taking their first fledgling steps to those with years of publishing experience under their belts; we all had a seat at the table.At my own lunch table of ten, almost every genre was represented. Proper Romance, Paranormal, Western, Erotica, Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance,Coming of Age Memoir, and one woman who has yet to write her first word......but is ready to think about dipping her toes in the water.
Also at our table was a prolific writer, LEIGH MICHAELS, who has written for Harlequinn and others since 1984. There was a wealth of information and a happy atmosphere of sharing bits of knowledge and support.

All in all a wonderful time. I left at the end of a very long day, with a SWAG bag full of goodies, and my mind overflowing with new ideas and real bits of information I could put to use immediately. Visit ORA's Facebook page: Here  And their website: Here
Thanks ORACON 2013. See you next year.
As for me? Well as you can see I've been inspired anew!!!!!