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

[janni.livejournal.com]

The long term sanity question really is an important one. It's easy to ignore in the very short term -- when one is a new, maybe young, certainly intense writer. It takes a few years to realize that writing is important, but that there actually are other parts of life that need nurturing too; and maybe a whole life to figure out how to do this well.

I also think when one is young and intense, it's easy to be critical of those who aren't; and to not understand the deeper issues until later.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I felt that intensity at *40*, because it was, well, a contract. And I didn't learn my limitations until I was knee-deep in alligators.

Sometimes I think you need a life agent as well as a business agent. Someone with experience who would sit you down during these times and tell you, you don't want to do this.

But would I have listened? Would I listen now?