I'm a writer, I swear.

I always feel like I have a story in me, trying to get out. I like putting things down in writing and playing with words, and people tend to like what I come up with... Either that or they're very polite, which I appreciate.

I was working on a book—you know, an honest to goodness novel—but I quit. Again. Last time I tried to write a whole novel, it got too personal and it was more like therapy for me. So I quit. This time, it was a mixture of not knowing enough about the subject I was trying to write about, not really being able to do research about the subject, and the subject just being too controversial. It wasn't too controversial for me—I like shocking people a bit sometimes—but I don't want to make people close to me too uncomfortable and cause problems. So I quit (kinda). I hope I can resume someday. I think it's a good story and it was coming out very naturally and effortlessly for a while there.

I have another story trying to get out; it is a fantasy with potential for very fun imagery. I should be able to make it a full novel, too! (Look at me, talking like I know what I'm doing!) Again, I know I'll need to do research, but this research will be much easier. I started writing this story the other day; I wrote about a paragraph and hated it. Beginnings are hard for me, but I have a linear brain. I can't start in the middle. I just CAN'T. It's WRONG. (OCD, anyone?) The only thing I felt good about was my main character's name. I gave her the old Irish name Ciara (pronounced "kee-ra"), which roughly means "dark one" (referring to someone with dark brown eyes and hair). This is incredibly appropriate, considering that she's a Selkie. I've loved Selkie lore since childhood and I'm excited to write some of my own. I will take some allowances and add some details (that will be presented in the book as "corrections") to the mythology to serve my purposes. Honestly though, I think my addendums make sense and aren't that much of a stretch.

Wish me luck in my efforts to write the gorram thing.