It's snowing!

[ksmith]

Why couldn't it have done this when I was on vacation?

Anywhere from 1" of slush to 5" of snae, depending on which weather report I read. I may be shoveling the drive this evening instead of treadmilling.

Talk in lnhammer's group about the downturn seen in the second books of series, and why that might be. My contention, which may not be true in all cases, is that you have no deadline for the first book beyond those you impose upon yourself. No contracts, CEs to ship back, overlaps with the outline that's due for the next book. No marketing to worry about. You were able to take as long as you needed to write it. You were able to fix the things that bugged you.

I have always heard that you need, at least in mmpbs, to kick out a book a year to build an audience. Any longer than two years between books, and you slip off peoples' radar. Dust accumulates. Folks, frankly, forget about you. I don't know if it's the same for genre tp and hc.

Yes, I know all about the authors who write one book every 4 years and whose names are Legend. Well, for every Vinge and Martin, there are a hundred 'whatever happened to...?' It may just be a fact of life, and depending on how you write, it may be something you will always wrestle with. I'm a slow writer with a day job--a book a year is not an option. So I'm left to consider how to construct a winning series, build an audience, and, well, have a life.

The importance of balance--friends, taking care of oneself, getting out of the house occasionally--is being discussed in another writers group. My 0.02 were:

I have a day job, and went through several stretches where I worked,
came home and ate dinner, then...worked. What's aggravating is when
you run into the people who question your commitment if you
complain, because you're supposed to be willing to do whatever is
necessary in order to write or promote your work. I love writing,
but it isn't a hairshirt. If I drive myself into the ground while
doing it, which muse am I feeding, exactly? Masochista, the goddess
of the midlist?

Having a life is so important. *Balance* is important.

So, I'm left to consider, how much can I do? Just because I can do it, does it mean I should? Where do I draw the line with self-promo? Where do I draw the line with schedules? What type of career do I really want, and how do I go about building it?

I am the one who has to live with these choices.

Comments

[hoosier-red.livejournal.com]

I think you nailed it in one -- balance. You can't stay up late or get up early to write because that sort of schedule doesn't work for you. You can't devote huge amounts of time to PR because, hey, you've got to work. You can only do what you can do -- pushing yourself works up to a point, and after that you're on the road to burnout and not getting any useful writing done. Screw that. Even Roxanne Conrad, she of the 72K/month schedule, takes breaks, and deems them necessary to the writing process.

And anyone who tells you that you should be doing these things or you don't have adequate dedication to the craft should get a rap in the mouth.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

And this is where the decisions come that aireon mentioned, because they will affect your career. So even as you do what you can, and do what's best for you, you accept that each move you make limits subsequent options.

It's the acceptance of the limits that sometimes hurts, because you see how folks without those limits maneuver, and sometimes excel. Which gets into the madness that is comparing oneself with other writers. Which happens, no matter how many columns you read telling you how unproductive it is.