JUST ANOTHER PHASE

Time passes extremely quickly especially for those of us over fifty years old.  For the very young, it drags.  Time simply moves at a snails pace until certain milestones are achieved (driving, completing school, turning 21, etc.).  But then suddenly time races and you can’t believe the older person looking at you in the mirror is “YOU”!

Next month my third year of writing draws to a close.  It is hard to believe I have been writing this long.  It has flown by.  Looking back I did go through several phases.

Naïve Phase

Like a child gazing at a golden orb, I approached writing with wide-eyed simplicity.  I merely had to write the story and publish it.  A piece of cake, even though I admitted to myself that I had no idea what the process involved.  In my mind, just write and publish.  I worked diligently on what I now call my concept novel.  With over sixty-percent done, I met Alida.  Her insights directed me toward a trilogy.  Her edits told me that I had much more work ahead to create a novel worth reading.

Intense Phase

I cranked out my concept novel by writing two hours a day, five days a week.  Starting over with the first book of the trilogy, I pushed myself harder to achieve a self-imposed deadline.  Writing became an obsession.  No longer did I write for enjoyment.  I applied vice like pressure to my effort ignoring those around me in order to get the job done.  My focus fortunately broke when a friend over lunch commented how stressed I appeared.  My spouse conveyed the same message and my anal spell broke.  Those around me breathed a sigh of relief as I returned to the joy of writing.

Relaxed Phase

I am currently in this phase.  I still think about the trilogy every day, jotting down notes since my memory no longer grasps matters with the same tenacity.  I write several days a week, but not every day.  Definitely a less stressful approach.  I continue to network with authors to learn about the changes in the industry and learn from their personal experiences.  It has been very insightful.  I am close to finishing the rough draft of the first book.  Then revisions begin.  Publication remains in the distance but the gap has narrowed.