Once Upon a Time...The End

For some reason this phrase has been going through my head.

I look around me at all the story ideas and I see "beginnings" and "endings." It's a part of my writer instincts, I guess.

Three years ago I began writing what I call "my saga." I'm just about to finish Book #17 (which equals over 2,440 notebook pages). I have no idea what I will do with it all once I finish...whenever that is. But it's been a good writing exercise and release for me.

When I first started the whole project, my kids -- Emily especially -- were somewhat jealous. I didn't see that at first since I didn't think any of it was worth of envy. But it turned out that they were wishing they had a notebook and pen to write their own sagas.

Done.

There's nothing more exhilarating to a writing mom's heart than to hear her kids beg for a notebook and pen....to (gasp!) write.

So began our tradition of going to Starbuck's or Barnes & Noble for "writing times."

We take our notebooks and pens, get our drinks (coffee for Mommy; cocoa or milk for the kids), pick our table (in Starbuck's, it's the one in the darkened corner that we've dubbed the "mafia table"), and begin jotting down our tales.

And what tales they've created.

I know they're my kids. And I know that nearly anything our own kids do is awesome to us.

But...

These kids have the knack. They are becoming quite good at spinning their yarns, honing their skills to capture their readers.

They've certainly captured us.

It's one of those times when I don't want to get to "the end" and instead look forward to hearing/reading the next installment...

"Once upon a time there lived a...."