Double Trouble: Confession of my Scattered Selves and Why I Need to Step Away

Photo by Dollen.

By Liz Everly

I confess: I should be writing something else right this very moment. In fact, I should be working on one of two projects for which I’m actually being paid to write. Fancy that.

Herein lies the dilemma I’ve had for months —and, ultimately, leading to my decision to step away from Lady Smut. I’ve been wrestling with this because I’ve been here from the start. Lady Smut sprang up from a discussion that Madeline Iva and I had a few years back. So, it’s been one of those projects that we figured out along the way and both have put a lot of our heart into. I’m very proud of this blog. And we have been very selective in who we ask to blog here. With that, and by remaining true to our voice, our “platform” if you will, we’ve created a wonderful community of intelligent, kick-ass bloggers, and incredible followers.

But my writing career has taken another path. It’s a path I’m very excited about, but it needs much more time and brain space than I have available right now to do it justice. I really, really, REALLY need to focus. I felt like I might be able to do that today, but, there was this blog post, ya see. It works like that. (Or does not work like that, however the case may be.) This push and pull and teetering on exhaustion is not good for me, my family, or my writing.

I am not a quitter—but sometimes, letting go is the only way to keep a certain measure of sanity. I feel a sense of needing to protect my creativity. When you are new to this business and have so much to say and to write, the universe will take it and won’t pay you a cent for it—in either dollars or energy. But after doing it for awhile, you see that sometimes the best way to continue to focus on writing is to simply say no to other things. I’m putting my energy into what matters. Right now.

Last year, between both of my names, I had seven books released (not including my Eight Lays series). I maintain 2 websites and blogs that are my own and blog on three different group blogs. Plus I handle two Facebook accounts, two Twitter accounts, and, well, you get the picture. Crazy, huh?

And of all of my books, my romances were the least successful. I don’t think it was because they were not good. I have my own theories about it—and I hope to purchase them back one day and release them on my own. But that’s another blog post. I find when I feel scattered and wounded and like my creative well needs protecting and tending, the thing to do is pull back and evaluate. What’s working? What’s not? What could I have done differently?

My immediate future plans include writing this biographic historical fiction and working on a new mystery series for which I’m contracted. I don’t plan to walk away from the romance genre forever. Just for the next year or so. I’m hoping to finish up the Eight Lays Series and write a novella, when I get the time and space. Maybe sometime over this next year. And I have a romance series idea that I’ll be pitching once the dust settles from everything else.

In the mean time, you can follow me at Lizeverly.com, where I will be posting very sporadically, and on Facebook and Twitter. I’ll be stopping by Lady Smut from time to time. Also, if you are a mystery reader or a historical fiction reader and want information about my other name and those projects, you can email me a lizeverly@rocketmail.com. I’ll be happy to divulge.

Rock on, Lady Smut bloggers and readers. Catch you later.

XO

Liz