Writing these days seems a little more difficult than usual. I start out with good intentions, then they disappear into a flood of differing priorities. There's home school with my grand daughter, letters to my other grand kids, marketing my two other books, phone calls, laundry, cleaning, email, Face Book, blogging, animals to feed, dishes to wash, meals to plan, candy crush to play, and now that Spring has decided to stay--mowing. My day is full before I even get out of bed. Lately, though, I have been asking myself--What are you waiting for? Why haven't you written anything on that novel that is halfway finished, or revised the two picture books sitting on top your desk? Is it just procrastination?

Psychologists look at procrastination as a lack of self-control. Okay, I agree with them there. I admit that my self-control has waned since I retired, and when I look at my list, it's easy to find items that are less important than others. 

They also say that creative people--I guess the fact that I write articles and books means I am sort of creative--often say they need large chunks of time to express their creativity. Guilty on that charge too.  I have yet to train my mind to work in small increments of time. When I sit down at my computer, I have every intention of writing from the get go, but then my mind begins to wander. Before I know it, I'm on a day dreaming journey into the land of "What if?". What if my main character reacts this way? Or, what if I put another obstacle in the way before this scene? What if a desert setting would be better?  While this journey is often fruitful, the time rapidly disappears and my list of priorities takes over.

One final theory is that procrastinating writers are consumed with doubt. Guilty as charged on that one too. I am always wondering why I chose to become a writer. I don't have an educational degree in journalism or literature. I am not a teacher, an official historian, a librarian, or even an artist. There definitely is room for doubt. However, when I really look at who I am, I have to admit that I know a little about a lot of things, and what I don't know, I can easily find out. Then there is the fact that I read almost 2 books every week. I know what kids are reading, and I want to write for them. I have honed my craft through the Institute of Children's Literature and numerous other writing courses. Finally, I am always wondering what could be, and all writers need to have a sense of wonder. I think that the Jewish philosopher, Abraham Joshua Heschel, said it best, "Wonder rather than doubt is the root of all knowledge." 

So while there are endless theories regarding procrastination, I think it all boils down to asking yourself "What are you waiting for?".  Now that I've identified my roadblocks, I am going to work hard on developing self control, limiting my day dreaming journeys, and silencing those doubts (well, for a small block of time anyway). Writing is now moving up the list, and becoming one of my top priorities even if it is only 15 minutes a day. Wish me luck!

I was thumbing through a magazine when all of a sudden a new idea for a book clicked the light bulb in my brain. "Stop the presses!" my mind said. "What a great idea."

I knew it had to be original because, of course, I had just thought of it, and no one could have thought of this particular idea before. I knew there was very little written on the subject because, of course, I have read everything about the Old West. And, I knew it would make a great story because, of course, I loved it. Then reality set in, and along with it a large dose of doubt. I had to ask myself if the idea was really original? Did I have a handle on the subject? Could I write it the way I wanted it to be written? And when I thought about it objectively, I had to say "No." This is where I was two years ago when I decided to write my non-fiction book The Great Camel Experiment of the Old West. So how did my idea become my book? Research.


The first thing I did was find every book on the subject that was still in print and complete a market analysis. My market analysis included the title, author, pages, readership, what part of the subject was covered, when it was published, if it still available, and the slant. Next I started collecting articles. I subscribed to Jstor, the Newspaper Archives, WorldCat, multiple historical societies, and several state and federal information sites. This journey alone took me four months. 


Once I gathered my information, I reviewed it--all of it--piece by piece to see if the market could use another book on the subject. I decided it did. Now the real research began. I sent for copies of government documents such as the original camel diaries written in 1857 and Ned Beale's journal when he used camels to build his wagon road. I studied the history of the forts in the southwest, the survey parties that created the official maps of that time, the maps, archived drawings, artist's paintings and renderings, soldier's diaries, and newspaper articles announcing the camel's arrival. Then, I studied the camel itself. I learned about its physiology,  characteristics, and mannerisms. Then I met one, helped feed and groom it. Finally, I contacted an expert--Doug Baum. Doug was the one person that I knew had more knowledge about the history of the importation of camels than I did because he was actually reliving the great camel explorations in Texas. His information, experience, and photographs from his reenactments were invaluable. 


My entire research journey and the birth of my book took just over a year--and I have a full file cabinet to prove it. I was lucky, my idea came full circle. My book was published in March 2014. As an added bonus, I've been privileged to write several articles on the subject. The latest one appeared in the February issue of Guardian Angel Kids under the title "Camels of the Old West"http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/02-015-3Dflip/index.html.

I am at a point in my writing career where I need to branch out. Yes, I have written 3 books and a picture book, but I have decided that writing books is not enough. I need another challenge--one that will keep me on a deadline and push my skill level. 

Years ago, I freelanced. I searched out magazines and newspapers looking for editors who needed work from outside writers. You might say, I was eager for bylines. It was a good business tactic, and I was able to see over 200 of my non-fiction articles in print. But that was then. My situation is different today. I am older--not necessarily wiser--not as sure of myself, and not really eager for bylines. Back then, I wrote to help pay the bills. Today, I write because I love to write. Don't get me wrong. I get a kick out of seeing my articles published, and Guardian Angel Kids has been an absolutely wonderful avenue for my short non-fiction, kid related articles. I love that ezine! However, I need more.


So starting today, I am studying the Writer's Market for editors looking for new writers. I am making it my goal to send out at least one query or an article or a short story to a children's market every single week in the remaining months of 2015. Fingers are crossed. All I need is your encouragement. In the mean time, check out my latest article, Cloud Factory in the Sky (contrails), in GAK's April issue on clouds, and wish me luck.