Catching Idle Butterflies

A missed call?

Have you ever wondered if you missed your calling? You know you're headed in the right direction, but somehow instead of heading straight for your destination, you took a little swerve? You find yourself traveling along a frontage road instead of the highway?

I thought that last night after receiving GPs and emails from people who happened to read my public reviews, including The StoryMaster . I know many of you receive the same, because you review as kindly and thoroughly as I try to. I suppose it's not that big of a deal overall, but I'm still surprised when it happens. I don’t see my reviews as anything special enough to garner those types of rewards.

Also, I edited an article for PastVoices last night, and to express her gratitude she gave me this:

Thank you bunches for the kind and thoughtful surprise this morning!

Every review I send out takes more courage than adding a revealing or controversial blog entry. I can never shake the fear I may hurt the reviewee in some way. Yet, I love digging into peoples writings, and figuring out ways to make them better. Does that sound arrogant? How about sadistic? Insert slight tongue-in-cheek tone there.

When thinking about editing for a living, I get close to the same feeling as I do when I write. I feel complete and ‘on the right track.’ More than once I considered offering my services to our local paper. That’s mostly because the current editors do a poor job. It’s replete with spelling, grammar mistakes, and many times just bad writing. But with no journalism experience or schooling, they wouldn’t give me a second glance.

So how does one become an editor either at a paper, magazine, or publisher? Good question. I’m thinking about going that route at the conference in February. Instead of plugging my writing, I’d like to ask editors how to go about becoming one.

However, I’m also flighty. What swallows up my interest today will be tossed aside tomorrow, because something even more fascinating grabs my attention.

As for my writing, along with finishing the two books I’m tackling now, I’ll be participating in National Novel Writing Month in November. Talk about flighty; I have six (!) ideas I can easily write 50,000 words on.

Anyone have a six-sided coin I can use?

Once I pick one, then I’ll spend October hashing out an outline.

My poor hubby. I’m disappearing again . . .