Home

It's been a long road (horrible pregnancy followed by 15 days in the neonatal intensive care unit), but on Saturday my little guy and I finally got to come home.

He's little, but he's breathing on his own and eating like a champ, and that makes me really happy.

A little over 3 years ago, just after this baby's older brother was born, I started writing. It's been a great outlet for me ever since.

I haven't been very motivated to write for the past few months because I've been sick, or baby has been sick. But now that we are both well and happy my mind is overflowing with stories and scenes that need to be put down on paper. Baby and I will start a morning writing routine this week while his older siblings are at school, because there is nothing better than dreaming up stories with a cozy little newborn in my arms.

Thanks so much for all the support and prayers. I love my blogging friends. I hope to catch up with all of you really soon.

See You Later

Well, the time has come. My doctor informed me today that we've reached the point where the baby needs to come out, so I'm going in for a c-section in an hour.

The good news is I've made it to almost 36 weeks. Unfortunately the baby's lungs still aren't looking good, so there's a chance he'll spend a few weeks in the NICU. I'm a little stressed about this, of course, but I feel like everything will be okay.

Thank you so much for all of your support over the past few months. I've really appreciated the well wishes, thoughts, and prayers. They've made a difference. I look forward to getting back to normal life again soon, and using this blog to write about WRITING, instead of awful pregnancy.

I probably won't be blogging for the next few weeks, but I will try to post a few updates on Twitter. I hope you all have a great September and I'll look forward to seeing all of your agent and book deal announcements when I get back!

Live Life Then Write

I just finished reading THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX. It was really good. If you like dystopian or science fiction, I highly recommend it.

After I finished, I listened to an interview with the author, Mary E. Pearson. She explained that her first ideas for the story came when her daughter was diagnosed with cancer. Her daughter lived through the ordeal, but it changed the way Ms. Pearson looked at life. It caused her to ask a question: What length would a parent would go to in order to save her child? THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX explores that question, and others. The characters were complicated and believable, and I think Ms. Pearson's life experience made authentic story telling possible.

I've wondered during the last few months what I can learn from my current situation (a complicated pregnancy), and how I can channel the things I discover into my writing. I know a lot more about pain now. I understand anxiety and fear in a way that I never did before. But I've also been able to see miracles first-hand, and empathize with people who have it so much worse than me. These months have been humbling, but I'm grateful for them. I'd never choose to repeat them, but I think they've made me a better person and maybe a better writer too.

Do you draw from difficult personal experiences when you write? I imagine we all do.