I quit.
For a week, anyway.
For a week, anyway.
So I've pretty much spent the last two months working on chapters and planning for Blonde Ops and yet another revision for my Victorian Dragon-Girl book (lovingly referred to as 'WG' by me and those whom I've tortured with it). It's funny what a distance of 6 months, editorial feedback, and now, other eyes can do--hence the quitting.
I handed WG over to beta-readers on October 1, and gave myself a week off--to celebrate, for one (HOW this book has evolved...), and to get my sanity back. Even though it's common sense, it's important to remember the importance of down-time. Some thoughts:
♥ Exercise. Muy importante. Two months of near-sedentary activity (walking around the house reading the manuscript aloud didn't count) took its toll on my poor metabolism. Oh, to get out and walk again--under the trees! I need a dog.
♥ There are other things in the world besides writing.
♥ But I can always jot stuff down. And work on other projects.
♥ Repeat, there are OTHER THINGS in the world besides writing. Like cooking and knitting and walking and reading (other people's books) and buying pretty shoes and presents and Halloween decorations, and clearing out and getting the house ready for visitors and looking up rescue dog websites. Not to mention spending some serious quality time with friends and fam, cause, you know, you can't get that back. Time, that is.
♥ OK, I admit it. I like people. Intense periods of work can be incredibly frustrating and creatively thrilling, but boy, when you reach the end (even though you know it's not really the end--The end of revisions? Ha!) there's this sense of accomplishment that's so rewarding. At the same time, it can be a lonely business. Did I mention that I need a dog?
♥ But I can always jot stuff down. And work on other projects.
♥ Repeat, there are OTHER THINGS in the world besides writing. Like cooking and knitting and walking and reading (other people's books) and buying pretty shoes and presents and Halloween decorations, and clearing out and getting the house ready for visitors and looking up rescue dog websites. Not to mention spending some serious quality time with friends and fam, cause, you know, you can't get that back. Time, that is.
♥ OK, I admit it. I like people. Intense periods of work can be incredibly frustrating and creatively thrilling, but boy, when you reach the end (even though you know it's not really the end--The end of revisions? Ha!) there's this sense of accomplishment that's so rewarding. At the same time, it can be a lonely business. Did I mention that I need a dog?
♥ There is such a thing as too close. I love WG, I really do--why else would I spend so much time on it? But towards the end of this session, I was going blind, half remembering plot threads--finding an end in one chapter, then flipping back to see if it connected in a previous... It was time to let someone else have a look. And my week away will allow me to look at it again with fresh eyes.
Speaking of, what am I doing with all this new-found freedom?
I went to the grocery store!
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| House needs food. Check. |
And got a manicure...
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| Reverse French Mani... Check out InStyle.com for more cool Fall trendables. |
Took in a show and a burger with Vin.
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| I so needed the silliness of this film. Best character? Cee-Lo as Murray the Mummy (IMHO). |
And it's only Wednesday. Wait--it's already Wednesday? This is just flying by, which brings me to another thing to remember: Down time is NOT quitting. It's finite and fleeting and all too soon I'll be back to work (hopefully in a way that's a bit more balanced). Well, time to indulge in another non-writing activity--one of my favorites--a trip to the post office! Good thing there's a Starbucks nearby...