I don’t know what happened exactly. I wish I did! It just started flowing.

I went from two chapters on the Half-Life of A Soul series to five… and they’re good chapters even!

Then I wrote another chapter on the “for funsies” story, bringing it to two, and now solidly on its way.

Well, okay, I said I don’t know what happened. Actually, I know precisely what broke me out of my writer’s block/writer’s blah.My daughter-in-law started reading my short stories. (Available from my newsletter.) She sent me comments after each.

“I knew you were gonna do that! My feels!”

“Is it wrong that I want that mirror?”

And, then she read my only flash fic so far (Available by request. It’s just a practice piece.) and said, “I want to go hang in the laundry room and wait for the blue lights! You’re not leaving this here are you?”

It seems, ladies and gents, that I am fueled on the squeals of excited readers.

Then it got better. She started reading my books. First she read Escaping Paradise. I FINALLY got to hear from someone else who has experience running as a hobby and who was over the moon about the descriptions in the opening chapter that I guess only runners understand.

Then there were random comments that hit my messages and made me giggle.

“Not gonna lie. I love (guy #2) and want her to ditch (guy #1).”

“Literally I hissed when I met (name) thus far. My red flag went IM IN DANGER”(Complete with the gif from Southpark)

“Woahhhhh scary. F’n run ‘lyssa!”

“Oh lawd have mercy chapter 10.” (it’s a spicy one, her gifs killed me)

“I’m on the part where he’s explaining his life before. I just wanna hug him.”

“(Name) IS A FREAKING NUT!”

“Like. Bro. My feels just got dragged through the muddddd.”

“Omf. I was like NO SHE DID NOT JUST KILL MY BOYFRIEND! Tears. Mad scramble of reading.”

And at the end of book 1, “My feels have been stabbed, hugged, beaten, and then given warm fuzzies so much throughout this.”

I now await the blow by blow of reading book 2.  lol!

Well, at the end of her first evening of reading, I stayed up until 1 A.M. and wrote two chapters. (I usually go to sleep between 10:30 and 11.) I haven’t stopped writing since. It’s like…

Tell me you like my story? You do? Really? You mean it?

Here! I makes moar!

*lobs stories at readers at max pacing*

Somehow, I don’t think I’m alone in being a writer who is fueled by this.

 

As a footnote, with the virus stuff, I’m not able to meet with people for interviews for the Plus/Minus stories. I *really* need to get to the local resource center, but they’re closed for now. I am also on self-isolation because I have asthma and managed to catch a sinus infection. The doctor pulled no punches that COVID-19 right now would likely kill me. So, two weeks to have a sinus infection and get back on my feet. Thankfully I stocked things up way ahead of this mess, so I’ll be okay. I’ll even still get exercise because the doggo needs the walks!

Hope everyone is safe out there. Please be careful.