So I was gone for four weeks. We drove 6,000 miles and I saw places that my first impression could only call indescribable.
And then my writer instinct kicked in and I tried to describe it! 😀
Like as we drove south through Newfoundland toward the ferry to Nova Scotia and watched coastal fog curl over ragged mountains, dropping rain showers as the air mass mixed with the warm and sunny interior. Rainbows, mist, rain, sun, fog in downsweeping curls and nearly obscured mountains… I thought I wrote epic fantasy but I realized how very vast a place the world is. How epic it can be. And I really need to ratchet things up a notch in my stories!
I shared on Facebook that it was exactly seven days into the trip that the itch to write struck and it hit hard. I had my iPad, but not my laptop. I’ve written novels on my iPad but after my nifty little MacAir (dubbed Aerial, don’t judge) entered my life, everything has been converted to it. Heck, I even bought Scrivener (post on that later!). So facing Pages with only the screen keyboard in order to write was definitely driven by a deep desire pushed by cascading ideas and not dedication to the craft.
I love to write. I need to write.
I also realized about a week later, that I need to market as book sales dropped off. Of course marketing on an iPad that is one of the first generations and likes to refresh websites every time you leave them to copy a link is nearly impossible (and an act that will lead to shouting insanely at an inanimate object while cursing multi-million dollar companies. Not recommended if you are trying to make a good impression on Canadians). I will never leave home without Aerial … er, my laptop again! And hey, the drop in sales inspired me to shake things up in how I market and where. And to write a post about it (soon, I promise!).
But the writing and marketing realization were mere snippets on a four week journey. I didn’t write while we drove and instead enjoyed the immensity of Labrador and felt in awe of Newfoundland from sighting whale spouts to mountains and fjords that astounded to peaceful beaches of sand and waves. Heck that isn’t even mentioning the limestone barrens, abandoned towns, and a place that mimics Mars so much NASA uses it to test rovers. My mind is full of places, jumbled like a disjointed plot that I’ve yet to make sense of.
With no ability to do the things I felt pressed to do (write and market), I tried to sort out next steps, how I could do things better, what I really needed to be working on. Doesn’t everyone need that sort of strategic break?
I realized I really need a book website. This platform has become about writing tips, which I absolutely love, but it means my books have no home. I’d feel odd at this point releasing new untold stories here! I need a website dedicated to my books. It might take until later this fall, but creating one (if not two, but probably just one) is definitely on the agenda.
I’ve sorted out course ideas and how they need to grow and be in-line with other material. And, the good news, I did keep working on the Gates of Fire and Earth! But I also took a long hard look at how the novel is coming. The writing is nearly done but with a chance to really focus on the book I realized how many editing tweaks it needs. Quite a lot! I think this book will need a good overhaul unfortunately. My instinct says it is about four months from being ready for release. 🙁 I want it to be so much closer to sending to you, but I want it to be awesome as well!
This post is mostly to let you know I’m back, just getting over a chest cold (ugh), and moving forward with a lot of plans. So much to do that it can feel overwhelming. But that is life, right? Tackling the impossible because, heck why not? If I don’t try I’ll never know if I can succeed!
What are you working on? How was your August?