Finding My Voice

Diana Beebe, Mermaids Don't Do Windows, MDDW, Diana Beebe's Blog, science fiction, fantasy, Young adultI’ve been feeling lately that I’m not sure what to post about. The last few months have been filled with the aftermath of a broken dishwasher (yes, another dishwasher death match) that ruined my cabinets before I realized it was pumping water out instead of in. Everything is almost back to normal in my kitchen, the old dishwasher was kicked to the curb, and the new one is beautiful.

Also, I finished the first draft of my Young Adult Science Fiction Thriller, GLOW. I’ve been through a couple of edits, too. I’m excited about this book and creating a series for it.

I’m getting my house organized, slowly. Oh, so slowly. But I’m making progress, even though it feels like a snail’s pace.

I quit the evil day job. Well, it wasn’t really evil. I liked my job and I was good at it. I loved the flexibility my job provided me. I so enjoyed the people I worked with for nearly two decades. I try to meet a few of those friends for lunch every so often to catch up. These moments help keep me sane. They asked if it was weird feeling not going to the office anymore. Nope.

It’s time to take my skills out as a freelance technical writer, as an editor, as a full-time author. And it’s a good thing. I’ve been so busy with house repairs and writing and editing that the day job would have gotten in the way. (Notice I didn’t mention reading. I’m behind on my reading goals.)

I’ve entered different novel manuscripts and a work-in-progress in contests. I’ve received helpful feedback from judges and requests from literary agents and editors (as well as some rejections so far). I enter these contests expecting good feedback–final placements are never expected, but I’m thrilled that it’s happened at least once for each novel, including a Grand Prize. My Books page shows them all, if you’re curious.

All this progress is bittersweet without my best friend and partner to share it with me. I have so many friends who I can share these accomplishments with, and I’m getting used to the difference.

The peace I felt at his passing has stayed with me, and a new normal is settling in. I miss him. After spending more than half my life with him, I suppose that’s to be expected. Armadillo no longer cringes when I talk about her dad. She brings up fun memories she has of him. I’m so grateful.

I said all that just because I’m not really sure what to post about anymore. I’m realizing that I don’t know what my new normal voice is. Before, it was an overworked, happily-married gardening mom who found the absurd in the news.

Everyday I manage to find more happiness, more normalness, more me. I hope you all stick around with lots of patience to find out what I’ll sound like.

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