Thrilled does not even begin
to describe how I feel about introducing you today to someone very special to
me. What started out as two authors
connecting through social media, has blossomed into a beautiful
friendship. Heather Hummel is one of my
trusted confidants in life, love, and the pursuit of chocolate. To tell you I love her to bits is the biggest
understatement of the year. It is my sincere honor to give her the floor today at Princess With a Pen.
The Writer’s Life
by
Heather Hummel
Ever since I quit my teaching job in 2005 to follow my path as a
writer, people think I don’t work. It’s been seven years now and they still
seem to wonder just what it is that I do all day. The stark reality of it is that
I have never been more focused in my life. It seems to be a mystery to people–what
we writers do all day behind a closed door or behind a laptop screen at the
local coffee shop, which is where I am right now. Yet, my life is actually more
structured now than it ever has been.
A Day in the Life
My first priority in the
morning is tending to my two dogs, Julie and Stephan. They require exercise as
much as I do. Any number of rainy days
in a row is detrimental to all of our mental states! You’d be likely to find
both paw prints and human toe prints left on the walls by the third day.
Besides managing Julie and Stephan, I indulge myself in a hearty breakfast. I’m
definitely not one of those people who can grab a cup of coffee and a muffin
and run out the door. In fact, I’ve only ever had the total of ¼ cup of coffee
in my entire life. (On the other hand, coffee ice cream is my absolute
favorite–go figure!) Every morning I make the slow-cook oatmeal, not the
instant, and add slivered almonds, dried cranberries, and what is probably too
much syrup. Real maple syrup. I wash breakfast down with an orange juice and soy
protein powder “shake” that leaves my friends shaking in their pants when they
see it. Only a few have dared to try it.
While eating breakfast and
allowing the dogs to play, I check e-mail, upload a batch of the day’s Tweets
to Hootsuite, stop by Facebook to ensure everyone has posted their positive
thoughts for the day, and send a few texts out.
Admittedly, the best part of my day follows…my muse...my 20-or-so mile
bike ride. A high percentage of my written material is a result of my mind
working cohesively with my body during these rides. It’s as though my thoughts
are filtered of all the floating dust bunnies and sticky tar pieces, allowing new
ideas to formulate almost effortlessly. The process still amazes me and, knock
on my bike wheels, I have never had “writer’s block.” And with Rocky Mountain
views like this schoolhouse, the muse is always flowing.
A day that starts with the
dogs and me exercised is a much happier one. By late morning, I’ve responded to
the morning e-mails, and tapped into social media, all without fighting
traffic, stopping at Starbucks, discussing the most recent episode of American
Idol by the water cooler on the way to yet another Monday morning meeting, or
having to explain to a boss where project #1 is and when #2 might be ready.
Late morning is when I “leave
for work.” I venture over to my favorite coffee shop, currently Bonfire Coffee
in Carbondale, Colorado (stalkers, beware…I have a bodyguard here. Well, at
least an old guy in a Hawaiian shirt who can probably kick butt in my defense).
Ya know those large corner offices with the windows that corporate executives
strive for? Bonfire Coffee provides this for me along with friendly service,
great hot chocolate or ice tea and lunch, let alone ample material for writing!
My desk is whichever table is available. There’s always plenty of room for my
laptop and the wireless internet connection rocks. I spend a good portion of my
afternoons working in a pleasant environment, get an occasional glimpse of a
hot guy sitting at another table (note to self: always dress nice when going to
the coffee shop), and amazingly I’m able to accomplish more work here than I
can usually at home.
By dinner time, my dogs are
ready for round two of their sibling battles in the backyard. Having two dogs is
definitely easier than one–they tire one another out, keep each other company,
and when one comes to me, the other follows. My evenings are spent editing client’s
work or reading (all writers read as much, if not more, than they write) and by
time I hit the sack, well after 11:00 p.m., I’ve written and/or editing over
2,000 words per day, my personal goal.
While I may not work 9–5, I work
everyday of the week during all hours of the day and night. It’s some people’s
nature to require a structured work environment with a boss and a reliable
salary, and I am grateful for those who do because they provide my banking,
shopping, mechanic, and other needs when I expect them to be open.
For me, though, being a
writer is all I ever wanted to be. It took a huge leap of faith, but for my 40th
birthday, I walked away from being a high school English teacher and dove into
my writing career. I’ve since added photography to my creative ventures, and as
such am a self-titled “PhotoNovelist.”
I believe that when you leap
with faith, the Universe will catch you. It’s something like that dream people
have that they’re falling and always wake up just before landing. What leap of
faith are you ready to take?
Heather Hummel is a
"PhotoNovelist" who blends her love for photography with her award-winning
career as an author. Heather has ghostwritten for politicians, corporations,
and public figures. Her books have appeared in newspapers such as: Publishers
Weekly, USA Today and the Washington Post; and in magazines that include:
Health, Body & Soul, First, and Spry Living, a combined circulation of
nearly 15 million. A graduate with High Distinction from the University of
Virginia, Heather holds a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree with
concentrations in English and Secondary Education. She is currently earning a
Ph.D. in Metaphysical Sciences.
Her published works include:
Fiction:
Journals from the Heart Series:
Whispers from the Heart (2011)
Write from the Heart (2011)
Nonfiction:
Life in the Iris of the Beholder
(2012)
Signs from the Universe (2011)
Gracefully: Looking and Being Your Best
at Any Age (McGraw-Hill, 2008)
Essays:
Messages of Hope and Healing (
Sunpiper Media, 2006)
Blue Ridge Anthology (Cedar Creek,
2007) with David Baldacci and Rita Mae Brown
Awards:
2009 Mature Media Awards, Merit Award
2009 New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention
Visit Heather’s websites at www.HeatherHummel.net
and www.PulseImages.net
Windy City writer, Elizabeth Marx, brings cosmopolitan life alive in her fiction—a blend of romance, fast-paced Chicago living, and a sprinkle of magical realism. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs. She grew up in the city, has traveled extensively, and still says there’s no town like Chi-Town. 
