So - what happens between books? Oh - everything and nothing. Usually, to date, I've had a burning idea for another book and I've been researching and sketching things out and so on. Alternatively, there have been previous works to amend, re-write and generally tinker with, and lots of submissions.
For some reason, perhaps because I have two no burning ideas for another book, and potential publishers a tiny bit interested in two books - subject to re-writes - and 200 other things that might go wrong - I feel totally paralysed. If I start working on changing one, I then feel distracted and want to do something on the other. I have dedicated myself to The Ash Grove for the last week - and done nothing. Next week I am going to start with re-writes to TMoF - because I've had good feedback from Tara and have wanted to fiddle with it. Perhaps if I tell myself this is the week to do it I can finish and make a start with TAG after the half term.
When I say this, it all seems reasonable and sensible, no one's hassling me for them after all. And that's probably the trouble. Because while I feel good about TMoF on one level, I feel that because it's a seldom seen topic, transcending genres etc. that it may be even more difficult to place than any of the other books. There is a bit of me that is saying "what's the point?" and at the moment that voice seems stronger than all the positive feedback. So, spending a day in my dressing gown, replying to emails and trying to sort things out - and editing M's article on the Roman elephants for Minerva begins to seem like an almost serious day's work, especially as it is a Sunday. I felt able to do this because I got my share of social life on Friday night (theatre) and Saturday (demo in Dover, followed by Ruth R's vernissage). So today it was either gardening or the laptop. But not writing. For some reason I don't write on Sundays. However, I still have ideas, and hope to remember them on Monday!
Let us hope that the paralysis is temporary (it's lasted a couple of weeks now) and that the negative voices in my head are simply a sign of a slightly compromised immune system (new thinking says this could be the cause of schizophrenia).
For some reason, perhaps because I have two no burning ideas for another book, and potential publishers a tiny bit interested in two books - subject to re-writes - and 200 other things that might go wrong - I feel totally paralysed. If I start working on changing one, I then feel distracted and want to do something on the other. I have dedicated myself to The Ash Grove for the last week - and done nothing. Next week I am going to start with re-writes to TMoF - because I've had good feedback from Tara and have wanted to fiddle with it. Perhaps if I tell myself this is the week to do it I can finish and make a start with TAG after the half term.
Let us hope that the paralysis is temporary (it's lasted a couple of weeks now) and that the negative voices in my head are simply a sign of a slightly compromised immune system (new thinking says this could be the cause of schizophrenia).
