Hi. I'm Megan, and I'm an Addict

I stopped using drugs twenty-three years ago. Lots of people get clean, not all of them stay that way, and for most, it takes more than one stay at rehab to get the job done. I was lucky, or blessed, that the first time did the trick. I think it was because one of the counselors told me he wasn't sure I'd make it, and I was young and pissy enough that my reaction was, "Fuck you, old man!" (He was probably 35). I have lots of recovery under my belt, but that doesn't mean I'm not an addict anymore. And this week I recognized I am powerless over blogging. I'm not saying I need an intervention just yet, but if things don't settle down over the next few weeks, I may need to call in Dr. Drew.

This all started innocently enough. My mother kindly gave me a book (my first taste) about finding a literary agent. (Rule #1 is have a completed manuscript, and we all know that isn't yet true. But she's my mom, so her job is to have blind faith in me.) Flipping through the index prompted me to join the (gateway drug)national chapter of Romance Writers of America, and a trip to their website led me to register for their upcoming conference in New York. Then I had a conversation with my friend Lyric, who said (lighting the bong), "You should really join The Betties. They're a great group of gals, lots of them are writers, and then maybe you'll know some people at the conference."

So I went to the Lucy March website, and , indeed, they are a bunch of awesome dames, and I was hooked. Who wouldn't want to be like them? So, I would check in, just in the morning at first, and then (popping pills) at the end of the day, too, and I would read some of their blogs, until I thought, "That seems fun. I think I'll give it a try." And it's so easy to start-there are websites to set you up! Of course, I had to labor over backgrounds, and what each  particular font would convey, and I'm still futzing, because I discovered a Mad Men avatar program, so I added a picture, and now I'm up (snorting a line) every night writing the next day's post, but it's all good, right, because I love writing!

Today, I was reading a blog written by a (very handsome) former literary agent turned author. I found it on the slippery slope- linked to another writer's blog, that was linked to Lucy March. He had posted the Ten Commandments of Writing. One was to stop before you lose your spouse, children, or, I presume, mind. So, today I decided to loosen the tourniquet before I start tapping a vein, and take the weekend off. I'm going to visit with the Captain and the kiddies.

But I'll be back on Monday.