Things have been unsettled for several months. I hit a horrible patch at work, my mother became ill, my kids graduated from high school and college, and I don't know what to do with my writerly self. Well, I sort of know. I have this Jane Austen pastiche that I need to self-publish. I have reached the point where it's nearly there, but the nitty-gritty details have to be dealt with. And being detail oriented at work means that being detail oriented the rest of the time is difficult. I want a break from details! But now that things are sort of stable, I need to sit down and wade through the minutia of this process.
What do I do next? I have a fabulous idea for another Mary Ryan book that I think I could pound out in three months. I have something of a passion for pirates, and I have plans to write a fantasy set in the 19th century. Swashbuckling and the Regency and swords, oh my. I've been reading up on 19th century Britain and did you know that coffee houses were your modern day equivalent of a street corner. Prostitutes plied their "wares" at coffee houses.
And part of my issue is that I edit for my job. It's very difficult to wrangle with other people's words all day and then come home and try to comb your brain for something intelligent to say. Really, all you want to do is watch HGTV reruns with the Property Brothers. Or reread Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (for the eighth time).
I'm currently reading Bill Bryson's At Home. Expect a review soon.
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3 comments:
I understand rough patches, intimately. *hugs*
Currently I'm working on getting back into the "swing" of writing after leaving off for so long; hard to do when stressed about graduation, job searching, etc. :p
I remember working as a journalist and copy editor/proofreader, and how I vowed never to go back to "writing for a living" because it sucks ALL the creativity out, and I had none left for my own work. So I get where you are coming from re: editing. I wish I had advice but I can only provide a shoulder to cry on! Good luck!
For kimboo: I have ideas, I just don't have any oomph when I get home. It's like there is a drawer of mental energy, and every day at work I tip that drawer out on the floor. When I get home, the drawer is empty.
Well, I do have some advice as in you have a momentum, so don't squander it like I did. I squandered it for excellent reasons, but you don't get many chances in this business. Sometimes I think I blew mine.
I'm slowly squandering that momentum, which is a huge stressor for me. Yet, on the flip side, everything's changed in publishing, so I feel that I have a better chance to bounce back than I would have in the legacy publishing system. Of course, you know I think you do too, especially since you are such a better writer than I am. That SO works in your favor. Get that book published, woman! \o/
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