I woke up around 3:30 and ate quickly so that I could spend most of my time at the computer writing.  Or rather, typing. 

It’s a neat feeling to have the possibility of a book deal to motivate me to spend less time on my online strength training forums and more time actually trying to advance my writing lifestyle. 

I don’t want to start thinking about it as a writing “career.”  Because if that happens it might take some of the magic out of what has really been a quite pleasant experience the past few months. 

Tomorrow I hope to visit the library and check out the small publisher’s guide so I can start sending queries their way too. 

I’ve been really pleased to be getting a handful of personalized rejection letters this past week.  I’m well aware, through constant reading of books and writer’s websites, that literary agents are very short on time.  So they tend to either not send out rejection letters (I’m querying solely by e-mail right now), or if they do send them out, they are automated and sterile. 

My will won’t be broken.  Not even after 1,000 rejection letters.  There are just too many possibilities out there.  An agent or editor somewhere will be interested and then my first book deal will be a step closer to reality. 

Marching ever closer…

Grab bags are very cool though!  So there’s no shame in thinking they’re the coolest thing in the world.  You never know what you might get.  A 100 pounds of nails or a rusty litter pan?  You won’t know until you open that grab bag!

I’ll cover everything under the sun because I like to write. 

I have no restraint.  That doesn’t mean I’m tactless.  What I mean by that is I intend to write about everything under the sun.  From subjects I know a great deal about (strength training), to those I know little to nothing about (alien abductions). 

What’s my motivation?  A little bit of a lot of things.  Just putting my thoughts and opinions and feelings on virtual “paper” brings them to life.  It’s not fame that I seek, although a certain amount of recognition would be a good ego stroker. 

Is it for money?  Hell yes!  No, just kidding.  Although making enough money from writing to support myself, my wife, and our menagerie would be a dream come true. 

I’ve been submitting queries for my book idea to dozens of literary agents for the past week or so.  It’s actually been great fun.  Even receiving rejections has got me a little bit excited.  Mainly because I’m finally just putting myself out there with no fear of rejection. 

If my essays here on this blog become interesting enough, and well read, I may put them into book form eventually.  But that’s not really the goal. 

How will I pick my subjects to write essays about?  I guess I could say that they pick me.  But that would be mostly weird.  And all untrue. 

Choosing ideas for my essay of the day (or week) will be like a mental grab bag.  That’s why I thought the title was so fitting, considering my affinity for grab bags…even though I live vicariously through Walt…for now. 

When I become filthy rich from writing I’ll start grab bag shopping on E-bay with Walt at all times of the day and night. 

So here’s to you Walt!  Thanks for the grab bag idea!  It will fit my style of rapidly changing thoughts quite well. 

P.S.  I was looking at grab bags of steel a few nights ago.  It’s a sickness.