Many things suck about having a novel with a long gestation time. Among them is the recognition that many of the people with whom I was a fellow newbie years ago have either a) gone on to real success, or b) have dropped out completely.
From a personal standpoint, this makes me feel like the guy who is still spending his evenings hanging out in the high school basketball court smoking cigarettes and drinking cheap beer when all his old buddies have gone off to college (or graduate school), joined the military, gotten steady jobs or who have otherwise gone on with their lives.
And here I am, still working on this book, splashing and flailing as the waters rise, the winds blow and the sharks circle around me.
From a writing promotion standpoint, it's just as bad. There are folks whose first books I helped promote who are now successful enough that I would feel awkward asking for an interview slot on their blog. Others couldn't return that favor if they wanted to, since they took down their blog a long time ago when they gave up writing.
Writing is a lonely business.
||| Comments are welcome |||
Help keep the words flowing.
From a personal standpoint, this makes me feel like the guy who is still spending his evenings hanging out in the high school basketball court smoking cigarettes and drinking cheap beer when all his old buddies have gone off to college (or graduate school), joined the military, gotten steady jobs or who have otherwise gone on with their lives.
And here I am, still working on this book, splashing and flailing as the waters rise, the winds blow and the sharks circle around me.
From a writing promotion standpoint, it's just as bad. There are folks whose first books I helped promote who are now successful enough that I would feel awkward asking for an interview slot on their blog. Others couldn't return that favor if they wanted to, since they took down their blog a long time ago when they gave up writing.
Writing is a lonely business.
||| Comments are welcome |||
Help keep the words flowing.
Tony you still have your merry band of loyal stalkers.
ReplyDeleteThere's always a space for you on my blog (and Twitter stream). For what it's worth.
Looking forward to the book.
Thank you, Rebecca!
DeleteWriting is a lonely business Tony but the first rule is you shouldn't compare your progress with anyone else's. Your progress is your own. It's when we start looking at who has become more successful than us that we start to get down. Tell yourself their success makes no difference to yours - one step at a time and you'll get there - as for finding slots of other's blogs you have lots of stalkers as Rebecca said.
ReplyDeleteCheer up we all feel alone when writing.
I don't mind the loneliness, actually. What bugs me is the fear that I've thrown away almost three years on something worthless.
DeleteI hope these despairs are only temporary, as opposed to perpetual. You have obvious talent and are striving to perfect a product, very unlike the man who lingers on basketball courts.
ReplyDeleteMy despair is never temporary, John. It just goes into remission. I can only hope that this is a process of perfection rather than self-delusion.
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