Freedom!

I'm about three hours away from finishing up all my grades, from tying a big fat ribbon around this semester.  It's been a challenging one for various reasons, so I won't regret kissing it good-bye.  The only pinch of sadness I feel is that I had a FANTASTIC Creative Writing class this semester, and I wasn't quite ready to let those students go yet.  Their enthusiasm and dedication (and talent!) were an inspiration to me every week.

So.  Summer approaches.  Freedom.  And for me, that means one thing -- freedom and time to WRITE. I've spent the last two years, off and on, editing and polishing my women's fiction series.  Well, last summer, I started the seeds of brainstorming for another novel, but didn't have time to write it.  Now, I do.  And I can't wait!  I'm itching to start something new, to create all-new characters and find all-new conflicts for them to sort through.  

And, on another front, I'm curious to see how/whether things might advance, regarding my desire to publish said women's fiction series.  I've got some irons in the fire right now, and a long-term plan if those irons grow cold (weird metaphor, lol).  I'm curious to see what might happen...

Anyway, it's a huge relief to put the essay-grading aside and focus on MY work.  When I'm grading other people's essays, it's nearly impossible for me to salvage any creative mental energy of my own.  

But now, there's time.  Finally.