As I sit down to think about writing my last blog for MamaWriters, my mind is a jumble of deadlines and things I need to do.  I mean, there’s always so much to do and so little of it stays done the way we want it to.    Some days it all seems a little overwhelming, doesn’t it?

There’s housework.  You clean the house and it’s all to be done over again the next day.  You wash the clothes just so your family can dirty them up again.  You shop for groceries and within a week, everything is gone [unless you have teenage boys.  Then you're looking at three days, tops]. 

There’s what goes into your writing career.  You find the perfect mix of personalities in a critique group and then life deals that group a hand of events that changes everything — from divorce to death to out of state  moves. 

 Finally, there’s your writing itself.  You struggle for months to write a book and then you have to revise what you’ve written.  And once you’ve done that, once you and your editor agree it’s exactly right, well, you have to start the process all over from the beginning and write another book!

That rare moment of  ‘done’ is gone and it’s time to move on.

The wonderful part is… moving on is a good thing!  It means you’ve accomplished something and now you get to accomplish something else.  And each of those accomplishments bring us new rewards and joys.

From the neverending housework I’ve learned that there are more important things than a clean house.  Yes, my fishtank CAN survive with only two good cleaning a year [directly after I meet my deadlines!].  Yes, grocery shopping can be a fun experience when it’s the only time this week [during the last month of deadline] I’ve been out of the house showered and dressed appropriately to be seen in public  [my apologies to any neighbors who've caught random glances of me in the unshowered/major slobbed-out state]. 

From the dissolution of my critique group I’ve learned that, once you find that special mix of personalities, no matter what happens, no matter how far away,  they’ll always be your friends and you are blessed for having them in your life.

From revising my books, I’ve learned to try to see things the way others see them instead of only looking out my own little window.  I’ve learned to look at my creative babies a little more objectively.  And I know the books have been made stronger as a result.

From starting the next book, I’ve learned that there’s always a whole, bright new world out there, just waiting for me to grab a piece of it for myself.  There is no limit on imagination or on dreams.

And from my time blogging with MamaWriters?

From this I learned there is a whole world of wonderfully talented and creative women [and men!] who share the same goals and dreams and challenges.  I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to get to know so many of you through this blog — so many I now think of as my friends.  It’s for this reason I’m pleased that the MamaWriters community will continue, even though the blog will stop for a while.

To all the MamaWriters whose paths I’ve crossed – may your children grown healthy and strong, may your writing flow [and sell!], and may all your dreams come true.  I’m truly honored to know you all!

~ Melissa

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MELISSA MAYHUE writes award-winning paranormal romance for Pocket Books, all set in an imaginary world of Faeries and Time Travel to the Highlands of  medieval Scotland. Her sixth book, A HIGHLANDER’S HOMECOMING, hit stores on January 26, 2010, with her seventh, HEALING THE HIGHLANDER slated for release March, 2011.

You can visit her on the web at: www.MelissaMayhue.com or come Twitter with her at www.Twitter.com/MelissaMayhue