My Fictional Friends (NOT imaginary, fictional!)

"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." --E. L. Doctorow

I love when people ask me to go hang out with them on the weekends, but to be quite honest I'm somewhat of a homebody--not big on socially drinking (been there, done that, have the scars to prove it!)--so if "going out" involves spending money to get into a club or pay for a drink that I never wanted in the first place, I'm probably gonna say 'no thanks.'

I'm not a recluse, just not big on weekend partying like most other 20-something year olds my age.

And the blessing of being a writer is the joy that comes with solitude because it's when I'm alone that I am able to swing open the gates of my imagination and let my fictional friends live out their lives on the page before me. I'm not a recluse; I promise.

But I realize my lifestyle makes me a bit of an oddball...maybe I'm on the verge of going mentally insane because I am fascinated by lives of my own creation...but to be quite honest I don't really care.

These fictional friends--not imaginary because my hope is that someday I will be able to introduce them to you--don't require that I spend money to visit.

One more thing: This miscellaneous post is brought to you by the fact that I talked with one of my Aunts today about something concerning a July Novel Writing Month (not sure if that's what it's called). Anyway 50,000 words in one month. And even though 2,000 words a day sounds like a terrifying commitment, I'm willing to give it a shot on my own. I'll keep you posted on how my story progresses.

P.S. It's crazy how something I love to do and find so relaxing can also be the source of some major stress. I'm gonna turn this into a challenge...and I'm gonna try my hardest to make sure I don't race to the finish, but delight in the process itself. If my characters take me down a detour, we'll simply have to enjoy the journey together and find a new way to get to the end of our maze.