At the beginning of the year I had a very ambitious plan. I was going to complete and publish my book Fish (book 2 in my Sharing Strength series) then move on to rewrite and publish both Breathe and Last Piece while also finishing writing Chocolate Covered Cherries and publishing that one as well, all before new years. I had high hopes since two of the books are already written and I just needed to do the rewrites. In theory, those son't take nearly as long.
I have discovered it is much more difficult than I first expected. For one thing I am trying to rewrite a book that has been redone twice before and still bugs me. I now know what has been wrong the entire time and I have a plan to fix it but I have never been strong when it comes to completely changing a manuscript. I could keep it the way it is and just edit it but I know the revisions would make it one of my best books yet. It is just a matter of taking the time to give the story the complete overhaul it so desperately needs to make it realize its full potential. I am one of the worst procrastinators I know when it comes to edits and rewrites.
In fact sometime the best procrastinating I do is jumping into an entirely new project and letting the finished projects sit in a binder collecting dust. I have six current novels sitting in just such a position while a brand new idea is screaming for attention and later books in two different series beg for me to finish the books before them so I can work on their stories. None of those voices in my head are particularly helpful when it comes to finishing off the books I already wrote. I want to finish them though, I swear.
I want to hold the copies of my new beauties and have the ability to share them with the world. I love every single one of these stories and some of them have taken more work than I have put into anything else in my entire life. The problem is, not only do I have the other stories that want attention but I also have other projects and obligations outside of writing that require and steal my attention. I have the full time job which many authors I know must contend with. I also have a fitness schedule I do not only because I participate in events such as 5Ks and 10Ks but also because I need to stay active for health reasons. I am easily distracted by reading, not a bad thing as a writer but still a time issue). Then there are those other obligations.
One of the big ones is the actual business side of writing. Making sure to post and interact on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and any others a person may have. it keeps you visible and makes sure your readers can get to know you. Then there are things like this blog, although I know I have been unbelievably absent this year, and my newsletter which I am still learning. I take webinars and follow other newsletters / blogs / podcasts in order to learn and grow. And my favorite but also one of the biggest time constraints is doing signings. It is wonderful to meet other authors and new and returning readers but there is the travel time, set up and tear down and of course the time you are at the table that must be taken into account because you aren't writing during any of that.
All of the planned books will still be released but it will take a little longer than I hoped. With any luck I will be on here more often to share my experiences and those my fellow authors share with you and take your suggestions about the things you enjoy reading. Thanks for sticking with me!
