Are we having fun yet? … by Chris Goff

I have always considered myself a “glass half-full”-kind of gal. You know, the one who always looks on the bright side, who sees the funny in things, and enjoys her work. But lately, I’m finding it harder and harder to write.

Take RED SKY, my book-in-progress. I should be thrilled. I have a contract, an agent who loves me and an editor who loves my writing. I love the thriller genre. What could possibly be better?

Except, I have a deadline that’s killing me! I’ve already been granted two extensions and I’m late again. I have a plot that seems to be getting larger and larger, that I can’t seem to wrangle, and self-doubt is mumbling in my ear. It’s becoming harder and harder to write.

Take DARK WATERS, my first book in the new thriller series. It’s on some kind of roll. We sold the audio rights, international rights and book club rights. It’s a Finalist for both a Colorado Authors’ League Award and a Colorado Book Award. It garnered some great blurbs, some great press and it’s got 43 Amazon reviews. All good, right?

Except, I can’t seem to shake-off the notion that if I could just hit 50 reviews (hint) Amazon’s next algorithm will trip launching me into the stratosphere (am I overreaching?) OR that the last review posted (while not bad and which I should never have read) dissed a premise in my book that carries over to the next book (FYI, a premise that I adore) and now I’m finding it harder and harder to write.

Take A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS. It was March of 2007 when my last Birdwatcher’s Mystery was published. Nine years ago! Now I’ve found a home for my backlist and Book #6 is scheduled for release in May. The launch is scheduled for May 25th at the Tattered Cover Book Store at 7 p.m. (hint), and I should be doing the “happy dance,” right?

Except every signing conjures memories of the launch of DEATH OF A SONGBIRD, Book #2, at my hometown book store, where only two people came—two!—the head boy from my high school graduating class and my aunt. I was devastated, not to mention embarrassed (the book store owner had ordered in 100 copies of my book). Fortunately, the next week, friends returning from their summer vacations descended on the book store and saved my bacon. Yet, 15 years later, I still angst about every book signing—making it harder and harder to write.

Need I go on? There are the writer gigs. Sooo much fun! And I’ve been fortunate to have been asked to do quite a few in the next several months. But, while I love sharing with other writers and with readers, preparation takes time. Plus it’s only fair to the event planners, my publisher, and me to spend time on Social Media and promotion.

And then there’s my personal life….

Okay, you see the theme (and, if you’re like me, you’ve got the tune to the Maroon 5 song “Harder to Breathe” stuck in your head) and you’re probably thinking: “What the heck is she whining about ?” because your professional and personal life is no doubt way more busy and congested than mine.

So, my question for you is: Are we having fun? If it’s always fun, I want to know your secret. Please post!

But for those of you who can feel my pain, I’ve come up a simple strategy for putting the FUN back in writing.

1. Free up some time. I used to write every chance I could—in the evening after the kids were in bed or in the morning after everyone went out the door. I craved time to write, and every minute I carved out was a gift. My vow: to once more cherish my writing time.

2. Unfetter the muse. When I first started writing, I never worried about deadlines or page counts or plot lines or genre constraints. I used to follow the tangents to see where they’d lead, never worried about the pages I might have to throw away. It was a joy to see where my writing took me. My vow: to write with abandon again.

3. Nurture yourself. Everybody needs time to breathe. There are only so many hours in a day, and there are so many things to get done and so many things that need doing. I used to be much better at compartmentalizing my time. My vow: to find a better balance.

So, to answer my own question, of course we’re having fun! Or we will be. Right now I have to get back to my writing. You see, I have this deadline that’s killing me!

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Chris Goff is the award-winning author of six environmental novels and a new international thriller series. Her sixth book in the Birdwatcher’s Mystery series, A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS, comes out in May. Previous titles were nominated for two WILLA Literary Awards, a Colorado Author’s League Award, and published in Japan. DARK WATERS, her first international thriller, was published September 2015 by Crooked Lane Books. Manhattan Book Review calls it “Absolutely masterful…” and it’s a Finalist for both the 2016 Colorado Authors’ League Award-Genre and the 2016 Colorado Book Award-Thriller, and a Nominee for a 2016 Anthony Award for Best Crime Fiction Audiobook. For more information, visit her on the web www.christinegoff.com; on facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/authorchristinegoff; or twitter https://twitter.com/christinegoff.