If you’ve been around for a while, it won’t be news that my debut novel was published in May. After all, I’ve been going on about it ever since #sorrynotsorry
But what I haven’t been doing since my book came out, is writing.
I am working on a new book, or at least, I was.
If I’m honest, I’ve done very little work on it for the best part of a year now. What I did do in that time was finish crowdfunding The Disappeared, go through the editorial process, promote it, see it published, and start reading at various events.
For a while, I chose to put the new book aside and focus on getting my debut out into the world. I just didn’t have enough energy to work on both, alongside my regular job.
But the urge to write has been bubbling away for a while now, although it still hasn’t spilled over into action. I think there are a few reasons for that, so I’m laying them out there, in case it helps anyone else address their writers’ block.
Or just gives me the final push I need to start work.
What happens next?
It didn’t occur to me until recently, but when I stopped working on my next book, I’d reached a point in the story where I wasn’t sure what happened next.
Anyone who writes regularly will tell you this is a bad idea. Stopping in the middle of the action makes it easier to find that story thread and keep going the next time you sit down to write.
I didn’t mean to stop work all those months ago, but I did. And the longer I leave it, the harder it is to remember my plans and get back into the flow of the story.
Urgh.
No deadlines
Going through the editorial process with The Disappeared proved to me that I can meet a tight deadline. I regularly sat up writing until late at night, getting up early the next day for work and I made every single deadline. And I was proud of the words I managed to write.
It was tough, but having that schedule kept me motivated.
Now I’m on my own again. And because of the way I published my first book, there’s no agent or editor chasing me up for a new manuscript. Sure that would be stressful, but it would be helpful too.
Brain space
Between my day job and the author events I’ve organised for myself, there hasn’t been a lot of space in my brain for writing. I have time, but not the mental energy.
I’m hoping that sometime soon, if I think about it enough, I’ll tip over into writing again. And once the story becomes familiar again and begins to flow, it will get easier.
The Fear
I won’t lie. I’m scared.
What if I can’t write another book? What if it’s genuinely awful? What if I never find an agent, or another publisher? What if this is it?
Sometimes the thoughts rattle round my brain and it’s easier to distract myself with Netflix and dog walks and self-care. There’s always tomorrow, I’ll write then.
Except that’s not true. I’m the only person that can make this happen. I’ve got to stop making excuses and do the work.
Letting go
I’ve invested a lot of time and energy into The Disappeared over the last few years. But it’s out in the world now; it’s sold a few copies and even managed to have a little life on its own, without me constantly circling social media waving it under people’s noses.
So, maybe it’s time to let it go. It can have its own life, however modest, without me.
And I can free up the time and space and energy for something else.
Then, if that book becomes a reality too, it might find a few new readers for The Disappeared. After all, life is all about cycles and seasons.
The marketing season can come to an end, and the writing season can begin anew.