When it comes to writing, the inspiration is key

Here’s one thing you may not know about me: I’m a published author.

Granted my name has been on hundreds of articles over my career with journalism, that is not what I am referring to. I’ve actually written a book — two, actually.

Okay, so they’re not actually published. Or rather, they’re not published by a big-name publishing company. Instead, they sit in my room, bound with staples and tape, and a self-produced cover that I made as part of a class assignment.

In elementary school, I was an avid writer (something that has continued to this day). For one assignment in third grade, we had to write a short story. In elementary school terms, short story meant a page or two of writing.

Having just seen “King Kong” for the first time, as well as visiting our nation’s capital for the first time, I decided to write a continuation to that film. Today, I could probably think of something creative to call it. My third-grade self, however, simply named it “The Gorilla That Destroyed Washington, D.C.”

It was about a gorilla that escaped from the D.C. Zoo, fell into some chemicals, and was transformed into a King Kong-sized ape. He had one goal in mind: destroy the place that had treated him so poorly.

My story, by time of deadline, was 15 pages. Mind you, computers were still relatively new in school, so this was 15 pages of actually hand-written story. I received an A++ (the double meant something big, hence why I probably kept it to this day).

Though my writing has developed over the past almost 20 years, I will forever remember that story. I am currently working on a full-length novel, but do not have that same sense of creativity/willingness to write as my eight-year-old self did.

Having two jobs where the great majority is writing, it eats away at my mental capacity to write.

When I worked in Rockford, the greatest amount of writing I would have to do is fill in a headline or fix some spelling. I was able to write in a more creative capacity then, but given my later working hours (plus a nice 75-minute commute), I preferred other activities.

Now working in Evanston (as well as for the Sun Day), the amount of writing has exponentially increased. Though I’m glad that occurred, it does give me less time to come home, sit down and write a short story. Or continue adding to the number of stories I have in the works.

Being creative and putting your mind to writing is difficult when you’ve just spent the last seven writing nothing but stories about the latest medical products, health care provider-related news, and other technical stories that make sense in sentence but not in brain.

That’s why I’m always glad I can speak to someone who’s pursued that dream of publishing a novel. It gives me that little spark to start writing again.

Case in point comes from my recent chat with Kym Brunner, the daughter of Sun City residents OB and Rita Obrachta (N.37). Being able to bounce ideas off someone who is actually a published author reignited that spark to write.

I’ve added portions here and there since I started it last November, but never really dedicated much time to it. After speaking to Kym, though, I’ve added three chapters and am halfway done with a fourth.

I know it will eventually come with drawbacks. Putting pen to paper (or in this case, finger to keyboard) is the most challenging part of writing. If it’s an article that appears in the Sun Day, for instance, by the time I sit down to write, I have a general idea of how it will look. I’ll have talked to the correct sources and researched what I could to provide the most necessary information.

Heading into something more long-term, or something I have to create on the spot, is something different entirely. The plot and character development is generated entirely in my brain. I have the say in how this story develops.

Plus, the inspiration tends to linger. I’ll get to that point where my brain realizes “hey, you just got off a job where you wrote for seven hours, don’t you want to sit back and watch ‘Jeopardy?’”

Giving a 100 percent effort to writing is difficult when all your brain wants to do is rest. But I still plan on finishing this novel, even if it takes me three or four years to write.

There will be one Saturday where I’ll sit down and just write, but that hasn’t come across my schedule yet. Until then, I’ll just continue making little progress here and there. And look toward that end goal of having a book with my name on the cover.

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