January 19, 2022
Week 67
Emotional State: Letting it Flow
Books & Writing
I am full steam ahead on fixing book two and let me tell you, pantsing never ends. I had a different arrangement of scenes, which required a new chapter to be added. I set my fingers to the keyboard and out popped a discussion I had not planned for.
At all.
So, yeah. That’s obviously impacting other chapters in the book, so I’ll be rewriting a bunch of them as well in revision nine thousand six hundred and twenty-four (not really). Any change can upset the whole applecart, and maybe take out the donkey pulling it too. But I’m having fun. I really am. It’s not a slog anymore. Yes, there are days where I don’t want to sit down and write, but most days I do. Most days, I get frustrated by that little thing called a job getting in the way of my flow.
Just the other day I was gearing up for a big emotional scene – a fight – and right when I was ready to launch into the heavy content, I had to stop. I had a call with a writer. It was a great call and her book is so good. I love what I do when I’m not writing. But then I couldn’t sit and work, the words had to come. After wrapping up, I sat back down and spent two hours revising that scene (technically, completely rewriting it, but same diff).
I am working on chapter 24 out of 36 in revisions round 1. I want to get them all done before January 26th, so that I have some downtime in between revisions round 1 and revisions round 2. That space between is necessary and a good way to look at your newly revised manuscript with fresh eyes. But if I do that, it pushes my schedule back.
That schedule that I’ve revised four times already and am once again second guessing. I built in a lot of time prior to the next book. Time I think I need, and yet… if I could launch the book early, why wouldn’t I? Ignoring the need to set up marketing and a larger launch plan in advance, I could. But I don’t think I will. If I have downtime, I can work on Book 3 or write a bit more on my cozy series. Or film another five thousand four hundred and twenty-two TikToks.
Because marketing never ends.
Other News
I’m a firm believer that you have to get out of your own way and allow things to happen in their own time. Now, I’m not saying you just sit around wishing for things to change. That doesn’t work. But creating a plan and then allowing it to unfold without forcing it creates space for more good things to come.
Case in point. This week was a rough week at work. It’s a big deadline week and there was a lot of content for me to review in a short amount of time. I was a fried fried thing by the time I stopped working at 7 pm on Monday night. Tuesday rolled around, I wrote, had a call, wrote some more and then… I was supposed to work out, shower, and do some book marketing or blog things. And then a few hours of fun before my evening call.
But I didn’t want to.
So, I didn’t. I pfaffed about online, looked up some interesting things, watched a lot of Tiktoks and just floated through the day. At the end of it, after my late call, I spent time creating a book trailer that will never see the light of day. I wanted to do something different from my normal night routine of playing games or working on book stuff. I didn’t lose the day. I gave in to what my body needed me to do to recover from the previous day’s craziness. And I’m in a better place for it.
Now, this is different from just not doing anything at all – not paying bills, or running errands, or renewing the homeowner’s insurance policy. This was a moment, a day, where I honored myself and my wishes and didn’t push. Had I pushed, I’m betting I wouldn’t have really accomplished much at all. And I would’ve been more tired for it.
This leads to my next point. I’ve stopped pushing so hard on my book. Have sales dropped off? Absolutely. Am I worried? No, not right now. Instead, I’m watching what is coming in. Interesting collaborations with other authors to promote other people’s books, fun blog swaps, joint Tiktok moments, conversations and growing my community. Had I pushed through, I might not have gotten there.
I know had I pushed through, I would’ve missed these opportunities, because I’d be too focused on the next task, the next to do. Instead, I’m allowing things to be and to flow in when the time is right for them. I can’t explain it, it just feels right. After all, life isn’t about the next task, it’s about the journey.
I almost forgot that.
To read more of my weekly whine fests and writing journal journey posts, click here.