You remember that time, back when I said, “I quit” and I meant I was quitting the pressure to be published?

Yeah, that time.

Well, it hasn’t changed, so stop worrying that I was abandoning my principles and stuff.

But something has happened since then. Something marvelous and wonderful and other duly hyperbolic things.

This is something I’ve been wishing would happen, except that I didn’t realize what had to happen in order for this other thing to happen.

(Can he use the word ‘happen’ again folks? Wait for iiiiiiiiiiiiiit.)

So what happened is that a plug in my brain fell out.

Or maybe it was a binding on my soul, or even writer’s block or perhaps a curse from that Gypsy woman I struck with my car as I was leaving work a while back. Why couldn’t I get the thin curse?

What I’m getting at is that ideas have been slapping me silly for two weeks now. As I was jogging in the snow/rain/slush two Saturdays ago, an idea for a dystopian YA novel came to me in bits and pieces until, after 40 minutes, I was going nuts with excitement.

Then a few days later I was sitting at the computer doing some NaShoStoMo (yes, I’ve given up on it) work and I had another idea come to me. This one for an urban fantasy series that starts mid-grade and perhaps progresses into YA. And as I brainstormed for this new idea, important parts of the world just kept falling into place.

And then I got the idea for a new blog. You know, that one I started yesterday? If you haven’t been there yet, check out http://notthisbutthis.blogspot.com for some simple and lovely messages.

It’s as if the act of removing the useless stress to be published IMMEDIATELY freed up the portion of my brain that was trying to imagine stuff. Like a psychological dam (he SWORE!) (shut up, no I didn’t) (he said “shut up”!) (yes, I did. sue me) suddenly dissolved and a part of me was free to roam again.

I must say it’s nice to have my imagination back. I’m glad I quit.