Busy Writing?

I only wish. For three years I have been struggling to accept the present "calling" on my life, which is as a copy editor and proofreader at a monthly publication about antiques. The other part of my life that keeps me busy is my family. My young school-age son and I spend every weeknight evening together, while Daddy burns the midnight oil putting the bulk of the food on the table. He does this after turning over paperwork at his new insurance agency during the day. Even now as I write, it is after my bedtime. I have to be up at 5:30 with a full day of reading ahead of me. It is obvious how writing has taken a backseat in my life. Look at this blog. My last post before last week was in January.

Before beginning my job I was "practicing" a lot more on my blog. I was brainstorming. I was working on short articles. I was seeking out publications to write for. Then I was called up with an offer to interview out of the blue. I had no idea there was a job available. When does that happen? (It was all about who I knew.) Because I was considering looking for something part time involving sandwiches or gas pumps, I looked at this as a God moment. The door opened, and I had to walk through it, especially as I had lamented many times that I had NOT interviewed for this very job ten years prior.

However, I have lamented my loss of time to write. When the writer's blues hit I look at my blessed employment as the opportunity to develop the other side of my writer brain, the editing side. I definitely use a different part of my brain to write than to edit. (Actually it takes more of my heart to write and all of my brain to edit.) I have learned that behind every good writer is a good editor. I get the chance to write brief book reviews for the publication, which gives me practice in brevity. Let's not forget honing my grammar skills. Some days I feel like I'm back in my college Technical Editing class or my high school college prep English class doing sentence maps. And although limited to antiques news, the subject matter is as wide-ranging as Staffordshire plates to Civil War carbines, vintage watches to Andrew Wyeth, Hepplewhite furniture to Art Deco. Antiques writing encompasses history, law, art, architecture, politics, profiles, books, and details, details, details, not to mention money. Some days it can be very boring (how many cherrywood high boys with carved knees can you read about before going a bit crazy?), but most days I am learning something new. So while I'm not busy writing, I believe I am busy storing up for my future in writing, and in the meantime I hope I can squeeze in practice time on lunch breaks, late at night when I can't stop the words from bouncing around in my head, and on blog posts.

Writer's Note: This blog was inspired by Christina Katz's weekly writing prompt. Check out her blog at http://christinakatz.com/