Blog No. 292
I’m feeling much better now, to the point where I finally got back to boxing (though being off for three weeks is rough) and my days have just about gone back to normal. The one thing keeping me from a regular routine (my desired pinnacle of achievement) is the deal I made to take time off from work (spent sick) to then cover for a coworker who had some serious life stuff to take care of. I’m at the day job a lot, but I’ve managed to squeeze in some work that I enjoy in the mean time. Not as much as hoped (a constant refrain) but something is better than nothing. Also, while the day job can be a drag, to be honest, the last week or so has been fine. Not great, but not nearly as terrible as it can be.
My main focus has finally become The Neon Heart. It’s an unconnected (or barely connected) sequel to The Thinking Machine. I’ve managed to sell a bunch of The Thinking Machine over the last couple months. Considering it officially came out on April 23rd and I’ve sold over 80 of the first 100 run, I’m pretty happy. I could be spending some more time to push it, but I’m a little light in the wallet and ordering more is costly. I have some events coming up in July, so I am going to wait until those are closer to get more. For now, they are still available at Anchor Coffee House, Anchor Bakery and Espresso Bar, and Biblioasis (even though the Bakery is just around the corner from Biblioasis). I do have about nine left in person too. So, if you see me on the street, just ask.
Working on a book (especially the first draft) is a lot of fun. With a novella, it’s even more of an exciting process. I’m not a big planner, but I realize for a novel, some planning can be really helpful. With a novella, I feel like I can just go wherever my mind (and the characters) take me. It’s a lot of fun to see where I end up. Sometimes I have some rewriting to do if something just doesn’t fit, or isn’t good enough, but rewrites are inevitable and it’s never that much with novella. I do have a novel on the horizon that is going to take a lot more planning than I’m used to, but I’m not worrying about that now. Now, it’s just nice to be writing. I still have about half way to go, but if I can keep this recent pace, it shouldn’t be too long before I’m editing. It’s never as much fun to edit, but it makes a world of difference when you do. I’ve told myself to take more time with the edits on this one, so I’m not sure when The Neon Heart will be released, but I’m determined for it to be the cleanest and most polished book I’ve released.
Once the novella is in the editing stage (especially when I’m getting beta reads and feedback) I can get started on the dreaded planning of the Novel. Some people may remember that I spent 2016 writing Pilot. I haven’t abandoned it, but it’s not necessarily the best novel to go forward with for my near future plans. Besides, by now, it’ll need an entire rewrite. It’s just shelved at the moment. I’m eager to get to part two of that series, but I’m content to wait since I have a plan and all. Briefly before I sign off, some of my other projects are going forward as well. Flags and High Fives is behind (mostly due to my illness) but Arvin and I made a big leap last week, so it’s progressing. Also, the next ChiSeries Windsor reading is scheduled, and I’m really excited for it. It’ll be mid July, so mark your calendars. Now, I’ve got to go squeeze in some more writing between my shifts at the day job.
Ben Van Dongen 