I decided it was finally time to let Harvey Dunne go. There comes a point when you realize you can do no more with your current project (although it feels very cold to refer to Is Harvey Dunne? as a project when he occupied about ten years of my life), so you begin a new one.
I have five kids, ranging in age from 34 to 16, and also have 15 grandkids. We’ve been through almost every situation you can imagine, and some you’ve hopefully never thought of. My husband suggested I write about our family experiences, for the other mothers out there who might be losing their minds. Maybe reading what we’ve gone through would help them, would let them know they’re not alone. That they too can survive, even when it feels impossible.
So I spent the next eighteen months writing about us and aptly named my manuscript Crazier Than Fiction. That title seemed to describe that time in my life. But even though the writing process was cathartic, I realized that I wasn’t ready to let the world read about our family’s private struggles and conflicts. It just didn’t seem fair to my kids.
So….I put Crazier Than Fiction aside.
Here is what I learned:
- Even though you can write about it, it may not yet be time to let others read about it.
- Even though you might not publish it, writing is writing, so keep going.
- Enjoy the process of putting your experiences and feelings into words. It just might make you feel better.
- DO. NOT. QUIT.
More to come…
