S%@t just got real.
How going dark answered all my questions.
Writing a book is cathartic. It gives your mind the playground it needs to run free. Allows you the freedom to not only explore but also create. I, like most writers, wanted to use my imagination to answer some rather tough questions. Well, maybe not really tough, but definitely one that had been plaguing me for some time.
My question? Just what the hell do the CEO’s really do all day?
As you can see, I went a little dark. And from that darkness came my first book, “Lineage”.
Back in July of 2012, after having major surgery, I was home on disability with a sort of morbid outlook on life. I had a large incision running down my chest and one across my throat and I couldn’t help feeling a little fatalistic. Not depressed, just wondering if I was ever going to accomplish writing a book. Or, at least find a job that I truly loved. Yes, life altering events can force you to reflect on your life in a very real way. And while my surgery had nothing to do with my heart, the scar was still something that still marred me. Forcing me to take stock of my life.
Like most writers, I had a drawer full of ideas. Buckets full, really. I even had notebooks full of unfinished drafts. But no finished project. I truly believed that it would take me forever to complete even one.
I was so wrong.
You see, once I had asked that question, my mind ran free. I couldn’t stop writing. The experience of putting words down on paper was the most exhilarating feeling in the world. And soon, I’d stopped taking the pain meds and instead sat in front of my computer with my fingers flying across the keyboard. I feel in love with my characters and couldn’t wait each day to play around in their world. And while I did go dark, I was able to find some light at the end.
It took me 30 days to write 85,000 words. I haven’t been able to repeat that amazing feat since. Let’s just say I was REALLY motivated to answer that question. And once I did, all those office visits made sense. You will have to read the book to understand what I mean. :)