How long?

My writing group finally got together. It's the first time since November. The month of December always seems near impossible to meet, particularly this year when both Christmas and New Year's fell on Sunday.

While our meetings have been somewhat less frequent the last few years, I am thankful for writing group. It is really the only thing that has kept me writing. Of course, once again I put my work off to the last minute. However, today I thought I might actually finish the story that I started working on about a year ago.

It's a comedy, that was suppose to be sci-fi and still kind of is, but not really. And the best title I have come up with for it so far is Hey Man. Can you tell the creative juices have definitely been flowing?

Well, the more I wrote the more I dug myself into a whole and couldn't figure out how to end it. Then last week, knowing that writing group was fast approaching, I started working on it on my lunch. But then I came up with an even better conclusion. Unfortunately, this idea needed research so it would have to wait.

I should have went to work on it right away but first I had to go to the circus with my niece, which was awful due to a poorly planned seating arrangement that I could complain about for hours but won't. Then my husband and I were off to our aunt's 50th birthday party.

So I woke up this morning and researched, then started cranking it out. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough time before writing group. They only received half a scene and I have still yet to finish my story. Hopefully, I actually finish it before the morning of our next meeting.

Missed.

I don't want to say that I've made a new year's resolution. For one thing, I'm two weeks late. For another, I never seem to follow through with them.

What I can say is that I have finally gotten around to updating this thing and I feel like total crud about the fact that it's been half a year.

I have missed so many amazing opportunities to write about. The coolest being that I had a short story called Faith In Moonlight published in Conceit Magazine back in July. Yes! I missed telling everybody that. I love that story and I was so pumped about it but I let it slip by. I am so mad at myself for that.

There has also been the ups and downs of life. A new marriage, a dog that passed away, a new job, a search for a new house, a new puppy. And the list goes on.

But I've really missed writing. I think about it all the time. And I always think I should start writing again. Then I say I will start the next day and I don't. Until 6 months has passed by and I haven't written a post. I've been working on the same short story for a year. I've continued to meet with my writing group but monthly meetings have turned into more like bimonthly meetings, if that. And I have tracked my life events in the same ways I always have but even my journal entries and emails to Jenni are fewer than they used to be.

I got sidetracked by life, I guess. And I'm happy now. When my life was miserable, I cranked out the writing without hesitation.

Anyway, 2012 has started well. We continue our search for a new house and head toward completing our first year of marriage. We enjoy our dogs but struggle with the challenges of a puppy and an old dog. I continue to try to find a career that I love and can actually get paid for. So life continues and I will try to write about it more.