THIS!

As you *probably* know by now--thanks to the absurd amount of whining I've been doing--KEEPER book 2 is currently kicking my butt. Don't worry--I am managing to fight back, but it's pretty much taking ALL of my energy. I'm only getting only a couple hours of restless sleep and working allllllllllllllll day (okay, fine, minus a couple of Twitter breaks--but that's to keep a *little* bit of sanity) and still not producing as many words each day as I need to be because I spend so dang much time staring at the screen thinking arrrrrrrrrgh, this is HAAARRRD! (also tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiired)
Someday, when my brain is working again, I will add my own thoughts to the never-ending discussion on why writing book 2 is such a mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting experience for a new author. But for today I'm just going to share something an awesome friend shared with me to keep me going through the next few hellish weeks I have ahead of me. THIS is why writers write.


I also found this, when I was searching through images (for research--I assure you) which is something I firmly believe in:

I can tell you this--Book 2 is scaring the crap out of me right now. But I have to believe that's a good sign. After all, if it were easy to make someone lose themselves so deeply in your story that they forget the world around them, then everyone would do it.

But they don't. WE do. WE write. Partially because we're all a little bit crazy (come on, it takes a *tiny* bit of crazy to do this). But mostly because we love it. Even during the hard times, there is nothing better than losing yourself in a story. YOUR story.

So if you need me, I'll be in Sophie's world, clinging to the dream that if I just keep going, I will find my way back out. I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can...