Life, Publishing, and a WIP Update

Refreshing scenery in the Smoky Mountains

In case you haven’t gathered, I’ve been on hiatus in regard to writing (and editing), which is why the blog has been notably silent as of late.

The last couple of weeks I was away on vacation. I took a much-needed respite from work in the rolling hills of Tennessee. We saw beautiful places and amazing sights, from Memphis to the Smoky Mountains (and several stops in between). I’ve been much overdue for some vacation time and this trip was just the thing I needed.

WIP Update

In the last month I’ve learned a few things about myself, both as a Creative and specifically as a writer. Because of these discoveries, my publishing schedule is going to change somewhat. I was trying to push myself too hard to birth something that takes time.

Writing is work. Editing is work. That’s not news. And it wasn’t a lack of dedication that’s caused me to take a step back and reevaluate my personal deadlines. It was more of a conscious realization that, while I want to get my stories out as quickly as possible, even more important is my own enjoyment of the process. That’s not to say that it’s all easy peasy, fun and games, but on the whole, writing (and publishing) needs to be something I Iove. When I’m bending over backward to reach a self-inflicted deadline that impacts no one else, it becomes a chore. An unnecessary one.

This whole process is really one big experiment. Set a goal, see if it works with the pace of my life. My aim for two books a year was a little too lofty so I’ve decided to relax my schedule somewhat. In fact, until the third draft of Gateway to Reality (complete with added scenes) is final, I’m not going to set a fixed date for publication. The cool thing about self publishing is that I have this freedom.

I’ll get back into edits after Labor Day when life settles back into normalcy. After this draft is final, I’ll send it to a couple of beta readers for feedback and hone in on an approximate pub date. It might be December, but could be as late as February. At this point, I’m not going to kill myself to make a certain timeframe.

Blog Happenings

I’m also hoping to get back to blogging regularly. On that note, I want to tell you about an awesome blog anniversary party happening this weekend at Novel d’Tales. Hilary’s review blog is turning a year old and to help celebrate, many authors are donating books for a gigantic giveaway. There are other cool things happening, too, but you’ll have to check it out to find out more. Make sure and stop by on Saturday, Sept. 1st. In addition to the other prizes, you’ll have a chance to win Foreign Identity and Not the Norm.

You might also be interested in:

Why Are You Miserable?

Pinterest for Writers

7 Steps to Get Your Groove Back When You’ve Lost Your Writing Rhythm 

8 thoughts on “Life, Publishing, and a WIP Update

  • Welcome back, Becca. I’ve missed you. : )

    And I can very much relate to the self-imposed deadline stress. Anytime I start to feel it, I have to remind myself to take a step back and ask: Am I enjoying being a writer right now?

    If the answer is no, then I have to take several steps back and re-evaluate. Yes, there are unenjoyable aspects to being a writer…but that’s different from not enjoying writerhood. If I’m not enjoying writerhood, then I need to make some significant changes! : )

    • Thanks for the comments. It’s nice to hear that you can relate. I put a lot of pressure on myself sometimes. Which also can cause a lot of disappointment in myself. Neither of which is healthy.

      And thanks for missing me. 🙂 It means a lot.

  • Glad you got to take a break Becca. I have slacked off er taken a break the whole summer, now it is back to work for me too…I have a book to get a first draft of. You keep inspiring me, thanks for that.

    • I’m humbled to provide any kind of inspiration and I’m glad to hear you’re going to get back to it, too. Allowing time for a break is always difficult and dangerous because it’s so easy to let it turn to slacking off. But breaks are certainly needed, in my opinion. At least with my writing style they are.

  • I’m still in a daze and trying to figure out where the month of July went to when I got absolutely zero writing done. I too am finally getting control of my life again and picking back up on writing. I’ve missed this so much.

    Glad to hear that you’ll be back on the blogging scene! Look forward to reading more from you 🙂

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