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| In order to be a successful writer, eventually one must take the driveway, and leave the farm, at least for awhile. One can't adapt too effectively to solitude. |
You might think that writing books is an activity best done in solitude, but that is not quite true. It certainly helps to have periods of time where people aren't phoning, interrupting, or talking to you while your hands dance quickly over the computer keys, but then this would be only a snapshot of the many seasons of any writer. Writers must first live a life, and perhaps even another career in order to observe and to understand sufficiently something about the life of which they choose to write. This is one season. Then, outlining and researching things you might say, to me, is another long season. Then, there is the season of actually writing the project, which I find fairly satisfying as I can check off each chapter done. When complete, there are revisions and reviews, and editing. No writer likes editing, but it is a necessary evil, and once in awhile, they do detect something for change that you didn't catch, rather than earmark something for change that you fully intended. I also find the pictures and artwork trying. They are so very important, and of course, others may not share my vision for the project. When your book is released, then comes the season with which I apparently, have a little difficulty. I want to go on vacation and not hear a word about the book, because for me, it's complete. This is when a new season surely begins. In this season, the writer must convert to a charming and charismatic conversationalist and be willing and able to do some travel, some radio programs, some book signings, and some television, if you are lucky enough to get it. Of course, in order to realize your investment in time and blood, sweat, and tears, and in order to generate both a market for your book, successive projects and royalty checks which make the whole process possible, you must adapt and shine in this season as well. And so, I flounder in this expression of a shining new self who is the absolute opposite of the woman who chose last year to lock herself up and create two books within months, while hoping the housework would do itself !
I am still doing radio programs promoting the books. The most recent was
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/
Sometimes, such appearances generate articles and commentaries afterwards. Here is one of these:
A Nurse Talks about Rational Preparedness which appears in Before It's News
Tune in, if you would like to hear my attempts at being interesting and charismatic, oh and please, buy one or both of my books ! The people who have are glad they did ! Perhaps this adaptation of sorts is something which prevents others from becoming writers.
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