March 28, 2016

UPDATE: Delay

As much as I hate to make this announcement, there is no getting around the truth: Elemental Blood will be delayed a month. The new release will be in April. 

The reasons for this are varied and numerous, ranging from health, to workshops, to a desperate desire to refill the well. The first two reasons are pretty clear cut. Health became an issue for me last year with my heart, so I have been striving to improve my longevity by exercising more and working a more healthy diet and lifestyle into what had become, in 2015, a very, VERY, sedentary life. IE: I had to buy a bigger chair last year in order to accomodate my ever increasing backside. 

Not fun. And not flattering. 

Second reason, there were workshops. One I took online for a week, the other I traveled to for a week and a half (that’s added in travel time). I always have grandiose ideas that I’ll get my word count in and finish a novel when I’m traveling. 

Uh….no. This has never happened. Past experience should educate me, knowing that while being a writer is a very awesome job, it is also a very lonely one. So when you throw a bunch of pro writers together in the same place, there is a lot of socializing, a lot of talking about writing, but very little writing ever getting done. At least for me. Because after being cooped up in our various rooms, offices and dungeons…living in these dwellings with people who just don’t get us, we feel like that rogue, separated from their family for all these months and finally reunited with their tribe. 

Yes…my peeps! 

And the third reason, and the most important for me, I had to refill the well. This has also been described as planting the garden. Ideas, scenes, characters, situations, novels, short stories…all of these things sprout from these wells, or gardens. Everyone has one of them. Some call them junk yards. Others, a pen of popcorn kittens. I have never wanted for ideas. But I also never looked at where they come from. 

Until my well ran dry. This is called…burnout. It’s very real and has nothing to do with writer’s block. Burnout happens when you stop refilling that well. For most writers, artists, refilling happens on a daily basis because we surround ourselves with the things that inspire us. I can only speak for writers, so if you’re an artist, your wells and gardens run differently, yet the principle is the same. 

In 2014, when I published the first in the Eldritch Files, December 31st, I started a goal for myself. Publish regularly, publish often, and entertain the reader. And I followed that plan as best as I could while raising a child and taking care of a house hold. That’s yard work, cooking, cleaning, laundry, housework, school activities… and somewhere in there, writing. But I did it. 

What I hadn’t realized was that in order to fit it all in, I’d removed the very essence of what fueled me. I stopped reading. I stopped watching TV. I stopped binge watching anything. I stopped watching anime. I stopped listening to podcasts. I stopped gaming (roleplaying). I even stopped our regular movie night and went down to a handful of movies in 2015 (Star Wars 9 times isn’t really refilling anything, other than Disney’s pocket). I just…stopped. All that extra time was taken up by writing. Writing. Writing. Always…writing. 

And it worked.

Until September happened and I started on a contract novel. And everything…stopped. A few days passed by where I stared at an empty page. Then I’d write maybe 500 words. Then nothing for a few days. I walked a lot, hoping that would jog something lose.

Nope. Nothing. 

I took naps. No. I drove around. No. Nothing. By the middle of October I had written 40K words. And they were terrible. And that’s not me judging it, that was letting a friend who plays the game read it. I continued on it… Weeks with not a word written, because the office had become a place I didn’t want to go. What did I do instead? I cleaned. I rearranged the closets in every room. I did dishes. I cleaned grout. I did yard work. I did things I thought meant I was productive in some way. This continued on for months, until some time in January when I finished the book.

Four months to finish a book. That was ridiculous for me. Seriously? 

I needed help. BAD. So I finally talked to someone, a friend who lives near me who is also a writer. We had coffee one morning and I just laid it all out. She was the one that finally said, after hearing my daily schedule, “Where is your fun?” 

“My wut?” 

“Your fun? I didn’t hear a word about those things you used to talk about. What books you were reading and fangirling over? What movies, or anime, or even what games are you role playing in? Did you stop?” 

I blinked. 

“Oh no. You did stop.” She looked at me with sympathy and I could tell she really meant it. She paid for the coffee and pastries and said. “I hearby give you permission to go home, pick a show on Netflix and binge it. Just grab a pizza if you get hungry. Walk to keep your health. But binge it. And then you have permission to play a game when you’re done. Play something you love. And when you’re done with that, play a new one. Tomorrow, binge again. No, better yet. I’ll pick you up and we’re going to the bookstore. And then you’re going to read.” 

I thought she’d lost her mind. 

I did what she suggested for a week. I played me some games, I watched anime, I watched movies, TV, and I read 11 books. When that week ended, I deleted what I’d written before and rewrote the contract book in 4 weeks, not 4 months and turned it in. Was it better? I don’t know. What I did know was that something shifted. Something I’d had and then didn’t and now had again. And it changed when I brought back in those things that give me joy. Those things that inspire my need to tell a story, my story. 

So here I am, a month off schedule (due to me finally sitting down and writing the contract book that was supposed to be done in October) but I am enjoying myself once again. I watch episodes of shows between writing sessions. I walk. I read 20 minutes a day, if not more. And I’m getting my word count in. At night I game, or I do something else that gives me joy (recently it’s composing music for one of the games). 

My well is full, my garden is tended. And I feel awesome

<3

 

 

 

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
19 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Christina

Cheers to you! We can’t wait for your new books, but without you, they won’t happen at all. Take care of yourself, time is fleeting. We will wait because we love reading your work. Enjoy!

Christina

Thank you for the wonderful books. But more important thank you for taking care of yourself. It is very hard to break away from what we think we should be doing and just play. I don’t mind waiting for the next book. It just means that the day I get it will be a play day for me where I sit down and read it right away.

Amanda

You need to take the time for yourself! So if that means that the book is a month late & fabulous… so be it! If you don’t take care of yourself, emotionally and physically, every aspect of your life is affected. I’m happy to hear that you have figured out how to keep the balance after experiencing a hard time. I can’t wait for the new book!!!!

Melina Delgado

I’m so sorry that you lost your way for some time. I can only imagine the pressure a author goes through. I’m happy to hear that you have filled your well and are once again incorporating happiness and fun into it. You are an amazing writer and I know that I’ll wait as long as needed to read your next book.

Richard Manning

Hi,
Really enjoy your books (all of the different series) but am wondering what the latest schedule is for Elemental Blood(it’s the end of April so I am guessing, not April). Also am looking forward to you tying the Eldritch novels into (or the other way around) the Grimoire Chronicles as I am sure all of your readers have noticed the cross ties (at least from the Elemental to the Grimoire). In any event, please keep writing, we are all enjoying your work and look forward to the next releases. Thanks.

Amy Houde

Wow, that is amazing. I want to give your friend a pat on the back. Life needs joy fun and geeky past times. To stay sane and motivated at pretty much any life sucking job (animal shelter worker) I think I know a few people who need to be told to play,binge watch and eat pizza. I have actually been binge reading these books and if I have to wait a bit for the next book, just glad to hear you have your happy back

Tammara

I love your books! It’s so hard to put them down! Can’t wait for elemental blood to be released!

Sam

I’m shocked at the lack of comments. I absolutely adore your writing and read the Eldritch Files series in the span of two weeks. I couldn’t stop reading and look forward to the newest addition. In the meantime I have readers block on a less than interesting series but I always try to finish the books I start!

Jessica Wells

I truly love your books and when you talk about having time for yourself and finding that balance well that is what your writing does for me…that is my fun, my happiness,and what helps me relax at the end of long stressful day at work. The only problem is that I get so focused and can’t put them down and then I find myself saddened when I am done and have to wait…but I love the Eldritch Files and can’t wait for the next installment! Please keep them coming #focusedreader

leanne

I wanted to thank you for your dedication and sharing your gift to transport your readers to another realm and egnite their imaginations as they read your wonderful work in a world which is otherwise bleak with constant demands and stress. Thankyou for giving me my regular escape when i get time to myself. I look forward to book 8 in the eldritch files. Keep faith in yourself always. You have much talent and true supporters everywhere across the globe

Spikeabell

Filling the well is ‘so’ important and I guess it takes that kind of experience/lesson to realise it. I wish more readers got that (I am not a writer but get cross with people who yell at their fave authors). Very happy to wait for any writer as I feel I will get THE story not a forced pale shadow. Just got into the Eldritch files series and having fun with them.

19
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x