Blog No. 339
Over the years since I’ve been writing, I’ve had a regular summer slump. I’ve mentioned it on this blog (probably a hundred times) but I’ve also talked about it with other authors. Most of the time people explain it away with good weather and lots of activities, but I feel the need to point out that (since I am a basement dwelling hermit) the good weather does little to change my day-to-day routine. Part of the problem is that the day job gets busier (and the usual schedule gets tossed in the trash due to lots of special rentals and yearly occurrences. Another part is that, yes the weather is nice, so there are more events. Some are ones that I attend, and some are just fun to go to. Some are neither and I’m just there to support a friend, but I do that willingly. The thing that seems to really throw me off track is the dreaded other half of writing. Editing.
Sure, I’m not editing something for myself right now, but I’m in the middle of reviewing Christian‘s new novel (you should be excited for this one, by the way. All horror and dripping with atmosphere). I don’t want that to sound like a complaint. He has done the same for me, and he even did the cover for Neon Heart at the expense of finishing this novel. I may be going into way too much depth, but it’s been several weeks in review and I’m just about two thirds done. I’m not one-hundred percent sure that this was my same issue last year, but the day job was even more demanding then and I was working on Neon Heart. The year before was Streets and Thinking Machine. The year before that was—a mystery to be honest. I’m sure I was doing some stupid layout, editing, or other nonsense that isn’t writing. I know that all those things are part of it (especially at my current level) but they still suck in comparison to getting that word-count done.
The thing is. Once I finish going over Chiristian’s book, there are all kinds of other non-writing, writing-related work to do. I still haven’t finished the ebooks (though, if I remember where I left off correctly, I was very close). I have to fix some issues with Thinking and update the file to reflect the new series title (of The Synthetic Albatross, which I am pretty happy with) and I need to print more copies of everything. I have a couple of events scheduled, but I fell like I could add to that list. Right now, I have two in June, and one in July, but for some reason, that doesn’t seem like much. I try to do one or two things a month, but maybe, depending on what the event is, I could stand to do more. The launch for Neon Heart was a bitty thing, and it was the only thing I had in May. It makes for some free time (something I was complaining about not having in this very paragraph) but it’s also how I sell books.
The truth is that I’ve known the answer all along. It’s my evenings. I need to take better advantage of the free nights I have. I do tend to be busy in the evenings. Monday night is boxing (which is only an hour, but by the time I’m home, showered, and fed, it’s late enough that the inevitable fatigue keeps me rooted to a chair). Every other Tuesday night is WOW. Wednesday night is game night. It’s not work, but I enjoy it, so it stays as a blocked off section of my schedule. Thursday night I tend to just recover from game night going. It always goes late and the Thursday day job starts early and lasts a long time. That leaves Friday nights. I should be going to things like Drink and Draw, but I never get any work done there. It’s too busy and I get detracted too easily. That doesn’t mean I can’t just head to a coffee shop, but I don’t. As for the weekends. Chances are I’m booked for something. Either it’s the day job (especially this time of year) or an event, or just trying to catch up on all the stuff I didn’t do during the week. That’s a long list of reason’s why I can’t (or don’t) but the point is I need to do it anyway. Especially this time of year when I slip behind.
I’m currently going to call this month a write-off for the Invasion Novel. I’ll get to where I should have been in April, but with the rest of Christian’s novel to do (and with him patiently waiting for it) I won’t make much more progress. I should be able to pick things back up in June, though. I’ve been getting more words in per session lately, so if I get into the old routine (and hopefully crack this evening challenge) I should be able to go a bit faster than I originally planned. If so, that would likely catch me back up. We’ll see. I shouldn’t make plans based on something taking more effort than the thing I haven’t been able to do. Oh, well. Up next is the Downtown Windsor Farmer’s Market, June 15th from 8am to 1pm On Pelissier Street, between Wyandotte and Maiden Lane. I may be flying solo, so come visit me or I’ll be sad. After that is the next ChiSeries Windsor. Everyone is booked for it, but we have to get the event page and posters finished. That should be up soon.
Ben Van Dongen 