Welp. Just turned STORM DRAGON over to a small press. I know. I have been going Indy. But, honestly, I am just so tired. I’m a writer, not an illustrator, cover designer and certainly not a marketer. I’ve building work to do, books to write, food to grow, fish and meat to gather and process. I thought I would give it a try, partly because they’re friends and I hope I add a little value, and I support what they’re trying to do. (no, I don’t expect ‘special’ treatment. I CAN bring it out myself, and I know some readers, anyway, would like it.) I set out to write a Heinlein Juvenile with a generous dash of James H Schmitz’s DEMON BREED (because I love the imaginary biology in it. It’s almost as weird as real biology, which most people struggle to believe.)
I think the problem I have as a writer (and I am not alone, but there may well complete exceptions) is that I go through a predictable and not very useful sequence of mental states on turning in a book. 1) ‘This is the most brilliant thing I have ever written. I cannot believe that every single good person will not love it, indeed I cannot believe that every bad person will not love it.’ 2)10 minutes after submission. ‘This book sucked. It stank on ice. No one will ever read it, and if they did they would hate it’. 3)Checking the post not more than every 10 minutes.
Seriously, self-doubt is both a driver (must try harder, must write better) and confidence eraser. But of course, the satisfaction of finishing a book, tying in the myriad threads and then sending your precious baby out into the cruel world is never that easy. The problem it is always followed with is… I’m not out of here, I have to start writing something completely different (I’ve tried ‘ write the same thing, it’s actually, once I move into it, worse, by far, than writing something completely unrelated – a romance followed a Heinlein juvie) But it still takes re-calibrating my brain. Different language, different pacing, different style.
But I must get up on the horse again
Mad Genius Club 
16 responses to “There must be some way out of here, said the Joker…”
Ride ‘em cowboy!
er. Horses and me have had many parting experiences.
Been there, done that. I go through the same thing each time I deliver a book to a publisher. Going on (checks calendar) geeze 25 years now.
Do let me know who the publisher is and when it is coming out. I want a pre-publication copy so I can review it when it comes out, not six months later. (Email the details.)
I will make sure this happens
Yeah! Congratulations. *happy kitty dance*
I upload the book, and say, “Oh good, it’s done, now I can relax.” Followed by, “It won’t be as good as the last one/readers won’t like it/I must have missed something/arrrrrgh.”
exactly
Be sure to announce it when available!
:-)I am absent-minded, but not that bad!
Any sense of when it will come out? Six months? Two years?
I love Heinlein. I love your juveniles. You writing a Heinlein juvenile? I can’t wait!
🙂 No idea, sorry. If they don’t like it, well, 2-3 months.
One advantage of working on stories in parallel is smoothing out those transitions.
Yes, I have several others – but when one catches fire I run with it.
I do it backwards. “This is horrible, it doesn’t flow, it doesn’t make sense, I know it has a dozen plot holes minimum. I am so sick of this, get it out of here!” So I push the button.
Reading it a year later . . . “You know, this is actually pretty good . . .”
I need about 5-10 years
The small press will very likely suit you. While they’re stressing covers and formats and stuff you can go write the sequel. nudge nudge. 🙂
My wife started nagging yesterday 🙂