A Proud Mental Case

Britney, 3L Publishing's copy editor, recently said this about writing vs. authorship. She said, a writer loves to write. An author sits down and professionally writes a novel. I've been asked that question many times. I never distinguished the difference the way she described. Although I've written five books, I didn't give the title of author much thought nor did I consider whether or not I was a writer or an author per se. I typically say "writer," and I've used that moniker to describe myself for decades. I've done so many different kinds of writing including screenwriting and magazine writing that I feel it fits best.

These days as a publisher, though, I am prone to neglect my own books. Writing at various times becomes a difficult creative process. I find that I sometimes even avoid it. I can write easily enough (e.g., see this blog), but I can spend days or even weeks rolling thoughts about story around in my mind. Everyone has their own creative process. I don't write on note cards or create cast lists or write down anything except the story. My mind works that way. I arrange it mentally. My husband says I am up in my head almost all of the time. Being up in my head means I sometimes miss what goes on around me. People can talk to me, and it goes right through me. I have this perhaps rude ability to tune out and not hear a word that is said to me. At times I even get agitated because I am thinking, darn it! Don't interrupt my thoughts! ;)

If you spend at least 70 percent of your time in "la, la" land AKA your creative mind, you are reading this blog and thinking, "Yeah! She gets it." I bet a large percentage of intellects completely understand what I am saying. If someone were to call me a "mental case" I wouldn't disagree. I'm being slightly facetious, but in every joke is almost always a grain of truth. So here I am! A proud mental case.