Updates
The SLAM event I participated in last October was amazing. To eat and chat with a community and revel in artistry- whether through spoken word or dance or song- were ingredients to a wonderful, brilliant night. I can't wait for the next one, which should, hopefully, occur next month.
It's been a demanding year. Back problems led to learning I was dangerously anemic. Which finally explains the severe exhaustion I was battling. I'm normally a work horse, but the last year plus I could barely get off the sofa when I was home. I bought my house feeling at my peak and capable and about to enter the best phase of my life after years of struggling. And then suddenly, I can't even carry groceries into the house. Can barely walk across my house. I was embarrassed, but way more frustrated. I went through two Primary Care doctors, a spinal surgeon, and three neurologists. Still haven't a clue what's going on. My boys have been doing so much, and have made me so proud and so blessed.
But, 5 days of iron given IV. It took a month for my body to absorb it, but damnnnnn, I felt like Lira finally acknowledging that she had been sick and was not fine after all. I became unstoppable. I felt normal, and slightly stunned at how long I'd been excusing abnormal. I whipped through house projects that had been in stasis that whole time. I weeded the yard, painted my living room, and completed my writing/sewing/everything room. Bought new furniture, rearranged the house, built up the turtle pond in the family room, painted the family room, and took a four day camping/canoeing trip. Wandering trees and sleeping outside. And problems didn't recur. Slowly slowly I returned to writing. And, now that my body is filled with iron (hahahaha, I am Ironwoman), I have actually been able to hold myself upright in my writing chair and write for normal, long periods of time.
Writing from blank pages is easy. But rewriting what is already there is infinitely trickier and tougher. I published Red five years ago. Six? Crap. And book two was pretty much already written out. I thought. My plan was to get it out, attract attention, learn learn learn, promote and join publishing groups, release Two the following year. Two has evolved so much in everything that has occurred outside in the real world, and the process kept getting halted. It's hard to say if I did things right, if I should have waited until Two was done and publish them both. Because if I had done that, everything I took part in, everything I felt ready to learn, all the book expos and author events I participated in, the writers' group I sought out and joined, this website- all the many many things I have done and learned in the last six years would not have happened, and Two would not be as strong as it's becoming.
I am currently nearly through a scene that has been plaguing me for a really long time! Lira's one year anniversary in Home, which is also Talyn's birthday. There's a lot of mixed emotions, and it all implodes. It was important for Lira and Karr to have a huge argument. Tensions are increasing. This book isn't only about Lira. There's so many Others who are trying to deal with their own battles that conflicts have to start. The elements have remained solid, but locations kept changing, more characters became involved and needed to be written in, and then those that needed to stay and those who needed to somehow be taken away changed, so that the emphasis was placed on Lira and another. I rewrote it several times in other files. So, took the week of Christmas off and sat my butt down, and put them all together and in the book. They've been merged and edited and it is now pretty unified. It's a relief, and an accomplishment. A huge accomplishment, because now, the story picks up speed and goes into my favorite conflict. Ohh, you're absolutely going to love Book Two, I am sure of it.
May this new year bring blessings and all things good to you,
-L.
It's been a demanding year. Back problems led to learning I was dangerously anemic. Which finally explains the severe exhaustion I was battling. I'm normally a work horse, but the last year plus I could barely get off the sofa when I was home. I bought my house feeling at my peak and capable and about to enter the best phase of my life after years of struggling. And then suddenly, I can't even carry groceries into the house. Can barely walk across my house. I was embarrassed, but way more frustrated. I went through two Primary Care doctors, a spinal surgeon, and three neurologists. Still haven't a clue what's going on. My boys have been doing so much, and have made me so proud and so blessed.
But, 5 days of iron given IV. It took a month for my body to absorb it, but damnnnnn, I felt like Lira finally acknowledging that she had been sick and was not fine after all. I became unstoppable. I felt normal, and slightly stunned at how long I'd been excusing abnormal. I whipped through house projects that had been in stasis that whole time. I weeded the yard, painted my living room, and completed my writing/sewing/everything room. Bought new furniture, rearranged the house, built up the turtle pond in the family room, painted the family room, and took a four day camping/canoeing trip. Wandering trees and sleeping outside. And problems didn't recur. Slowly slowly I returned to writing. And, now that my body is filled with iron (hahahaha, I am Ironwoman), I have actually been able to hold myself upright in my writing chair and write for normal, long periods of time.
Writing from blank pages is easy. But rewriting what is already there is infinitely trickier and tougher. I published Red five years ago. Six? Crap. And book two was pretty much already written out. I thought. My plan was to get it out, attract attention, learn learn learn, promote and join publishing groups, release Two the following year. Two has evolved so much in everything that has occurred outside in the real world, and the process kept getting halted. It's hard to say if I did things right, if I should have waited until Two was done and publish them both. Because if I had done that, everything I took part in, everything I felt ready to learn, all the book expos and author events I participated in, the writers' group I sought out and joined, this website- all the many many things I have done and learned in the last six years would not have happened, and Two would not be as strong as it's becoming.
I am currently nearly through a scene that has been plaguing me for a really long time! Lira's one year anniversary in Home, which is also Talyn's birthday. There's a lot of mixed emotions, and it all implodes. It was important for Lira and Karr to have a huge argument. Tensions are increasing. This book isn't only about Lira. There's so many Others who are trying to deal with their own battles that conflicts have to start. The elements have remained solid, but locations kept changing, more characters became involved and needed to be written in, and then those that needed to stay and those who needed to somehow be taken away changed, so that the emphasis was placed on Lira and another. I rewrote it several times in other files. So, took the week of Christmas off and sat my butt down, and put them all together and in the book. They've been merged and edited and it is now pretty unified. It's a relief, and an accomplishment. A huge accomplishment, because now, the story picks up speed and goes into my favorite conflict. Ohh, you're absolutely going to love Book Two, I am sure of it.
May this new year bring blessings and all things good to you,
-L.
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