I knew the second revision letter on RED SKY would arrive at some point, but I didn’t expect it the day before Thanksgiving with a December 5th deadline for turning it around.
I’m thankful I have a contract.
I read the email, but I haven’t opened the document yet. This weekend was earmarked for family and friends. It will end short—tomorrow.
I’m thankful for the three day holiday and for turkey.
One of the most difficult things for me is finding a way to balance the writing time with personal time with the business of writing time.
In the past three weeks, I’ve had three events—a presentation at Chautauqua, the Boulder Audubon Holiday Sale and a signing at the Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument this afternoon—and there are still more to come: RMFW’s Holiday Party, Colorado Authors’ League Holiday Party; a bookclub event in Pueblo; and the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America’s “Mystery and Mistletoe” Holiday Celebration at the Denver Press Club on December 8th. Twelve of us will be reading. Margaret Coel will be honored. Francine Mathews is emceeing. The Broadway Book Mall will handle book sales. It’s from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. You should come. Tickets are $10 at the RMMWA website.
I’ve also written two blogs, updated my Facebook and Twitter pages, and read a number of books for a competition I’m judging.
The business of writing.
With the holidays, we have family in town, dinners to cook, presents to buy, a Christmas letter to write. This year we’re in a new house, and I’m excited to decorate and make it feel more like home. Downsizing has been a hard transition for me and I need to take time to put up and decorate the tree, hang the lights and fill the house with the smell of cookies.
Personal time.
But what happens when the RED SKY revision is done? The publisher is already asking what’s coming. I have an idea. I’ve done a little research, done a little plotting. I need to open a new WORD document, type Chapter 1 and put down the next 99,998 words.
Writing time.
I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve been given, excited for the coming opportunities and busy making New Year’s resolutions.
1. Work on creating better balance in my life in 2017. Or as Jedeane Macdonald would tell me — learn to say NO.
Here’s wishing all of you a very happy holiday season. See you in the New Year!!
Learning how to say no is probably the biggest lesson we have to learn in life. It took me a lot of years to get to that place, which is pretty odd considering how much I love my at-home-dressed-in-sweats-and-slippers days.
I have good intentions. I just never seem to be able to execute!