The secret's out

Pop open that bottle of champagne!

I have finally finished both my short story, and an article I was writing for a magazine. I feel totally relieved at completing both of them, and incredibly happy that the editor seems pleased with my article submission. (Sorry had to brag)

Shew, I can start being sociable again. It has been nearly two weeks since I went out and had some silliness with my mates. I've practically forgotten that there was a world outside the four walls of my flat.

I am pretty chuffed with myself though, the short story was really difficult to write. To summarise it is loosely based on the life of someone who escaped to South Africa, only to get caught up in the xenophobic madness that happened a while back. Apart from being the first fictional story I have written, it was emotionally draining at times. I actually couldn't sleep after writing a particularly disturbing scene but I am back. Happy, bouncy and looking for an adventure - and strangely enough eager to write more stories. My mind is racing with ideas and my fingers itching to type.

No one warns you that writing is incredibly addictive. It is though. It is like having an secret affair. You drop off the face of the earth for a few hours, or days and disappear into a fantasy world of your own creation. Your mind can race freely and rules of the common man no longer exist. Afterwards you are in a state of bliss and no one can understand why.

My dilemma now is whether to turn the story into a book, it cries out for more details, descriptions of the land and for character development - or to write another story which has been buzzing around in my head for a while. Perhaps I'll write a steamy romance novel, or a book about the life of a 30-something girl (trust me that can be very amusing at times). I don't know, I think that I'll just sit down quietly at my PC and let my mind wander back into fantasy land. One things for certain, this is one affair I don't intend ending.