Stumbling in the Dark

It's the day after Christmas, and I am goofing off.

I'm not entirely certain where I'm headed with this blog. I'm not going to make any promises, but since I practically live on the internet and since I have recently acquired a Nikon CoolPix 990 (a digital camera that's way smarter than me) maybe we can have a little fun here. Maybe I'll end up posting regularly and maybe once in a while I'll even manage to write something witty or profoundly insightful. You never know.

Did you notice the title of this blog? I adopted it as my personal motto a couple of years ago, after hearing a radio commercial for Outback Steakhouse--"No rules. Just right." On that day, feeling pushed and pulled in directions I didn't wish to go, I declared my independence by saying out loud (even though I was alone in the house) that I write because I want to, so I'm going to do it my way, whatever my editors say and whatever the multipublished romance writers tell me about how it should be done, and even if nobody wants to publish my stuff (or read the stuff that does get published), as long as it makes me happy, I am going to call myself a success.

No rules. Just write.

Of course it's not strictly true, that part about there being no rules. There are rules, as we all know. And it's important that we learn them. In order that our enjoyment may be heightened when we choose to break them.

I was discussing something along those lines just yesterday with my 22-year-old son (who is home from Chicago for Christmas, hooray!) and I commented that since I am 48-1/2 years old and a published romance novelist, it is my right to be as eccentric as I want.

"Nay," my son the genius contradicted, "it's your responsibility."

Absolutely. So this is me, celebrating my eccentricity with a brand-new weblog. Welcome to my world.