While photography has become a primary passion, I first started blogging in order to explore (and contribute to) The Land of Blog via the written word. As I began devoting more and more of A Sawyer’s Daughter to showcasing my photography, writing was put on the back burner. Heck, it wasn’t even on the stove anymore after awhile. I’d started participating in photo challenges and over time, my photography skills began to improve. I loved (and still love) taking – making! – photographs. Along the way, my enthusiasm and sometimes urgent desire to share my photos and everything I’d seen and experienced, the places I’d been, the quirky things I’d discovered – all of this, now instead – comprised the bulk of what I was posting on my blog.

Now that I’m retired, however, writing has become once again more of a priority. I’m not only writing more now (my own daily journaling, responses to WordPress’ Daily Prompts as well as 682 Things to Write About, a book of writing prompts, which is great fun!), I am also READING about writing, reading inspirational prose related to writing and reading more of what others are writing – about writing. And I’m finding it to be pretty heady stuff. Learning about plot and character development and setting and point of view is getting me pumped up – again – about writing!

Last week I walked by an older woman sitting on a bench watching young children at play in the park. As I continued to walk, an idea for a story took root and that’s what I’m working on now. Where this thing ends up remains to be seen but for now I’m intrigued with where it’s going. I find myself thinking about this story character throughout the day even when I’m not working on it, outlining questions in my mind (and on paper) about how old she is, what her history is, the dilemma she’s facing and how she chooses to deal with it, if indeed, she does at all. I get in a groove once I start writing and it just flows. Occasionally, I’ll stop, put the pen down, remove my glasses and take note of my surroundings or get up to stretch my legs or complete some chores around the house. I could be wrong but I believe this is exactly what writers do! And I think I like it…

So for now, I’ve decided to add writer to my repertoire to keep company with that of my other monikers, that of photographer and blogger. A person can (and should) do that, you know: Decide Who You Are and What You Want To Be. Not bad work if you can get it!