Word Weaves

I’m struggling to work. I stare at the words and feel dried up inside. Is it the depressing news? Nothing but doom and gloom. The Haiti disaster is overwhelming all by itself.  I did read an uplifting post on Sarah’s blog  ( Sarah Davies, Greenhouse literary Agency). She met Miep Gies, the woman who saved Anne Frank’s diary, along with Anne’s father and step-sister.

Can you imagine meeting those people? I’d hope if I did, I’d have the good sense to keep my mouth shut and listen. What can you say in their presence that would be worth missing their wisdom? When the Haitians who endured this earthquake grow old, what will they teach us? Will someone keep a diary that transcends the suffering and promises humanity will endure?

Anne didn’t survive but her writing carries her message into eternity. She wrote as a young girl, dreaming about a future she knew she might not see. She wrote as a writer, chronicling her family’s experience in that horrible war. Her words offer us a chance to be better people.

I can’t find my creative spirit . A writer friend just died. The Haiti situation grows more horrifying by the day. I’d love to dive into my story world and shut the sadness out for a while but when I try to work, my mind feels empty.

I watched the Golden Globe awards this week. One of the actors said we need entertainment now more than ever. Our minds need an escape from hardship and heartache. We are so privileged to have the option of turning on the TV and tuning out. To plop down in comfortable furniture in our climate controlled homes…eating and drinking without thought.

The economic situation seemed so devastating until the earthquake last week. Now our lack pales in comparison.

I can’t believe last year is gone. Pfft! Just like that. Facing a new calender means admitting I didn’t reach some of my goals for 2009. The biggest one being finishing the revision on my first book. I didn’t even come close to that one. I actually laughed when I found my New Year’s resolutions shortly before December ended. Among them was a nice list of things that would make Christmas easier. Too bad Christmas had passed!

There are one or two accomplishments I can be proud of last year. I celebrated my first anniversary in my critique group. That measured up to one year of significant learning. I finished my first entry to a respected writing contest and mailed that off January 1st. I spent the last two months trying to learn how to write a synopsis. Hopefully I’m on track to send that out in February with a 2500 word writing sample for the 2010 SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant contest.

So, all in all, I guess the good balances the bad. Life is like that, isn’t it? Successes rarely heap together and they say bad things happen in threes. I’m grateful when they stop at that number. It’s a new year. The calender is full of empty spaces…possibilities. Here’s hoping we fill them with moments of bliss and satisfaction. Happy writing everyone.