Striking a Balance
I can’t tell you how hard it is to finish (start) a novel in the midst of teaching. It’s not just the grading and preparing for lectures on a weekly basis, it’s the emotional energy that is taken up by teaching. It’s probably not just teaching, it’s any other job that potentially gets in the way of writing. And yet… I can’t imagine this isolated process of writing a novel as my only job. Having another job gets me out into the world, allows me to connect with a community of people, gets me out of my head.
Ultimately, I am going on year 4 with this latest novel. I did something crafty last week: I downloaded a free trial of Scrivner, a writing app, and transferred my novel. I am now moving forward with this latest novel on this new software, which is set to expire in 30 days. Therefore, I will NEED TO FINISH THIS NOVEL in 30 days or else – POOF – the work is gone. Pretty drastic measures, but I really need a good push.
Had a lovely time at the Tucson Book Festival last weekend. I spoke on a panel and taught a class, and enjoyed going to lectures and parties and all the other fun stuff that happens at these events. It’s always great to connect with people who are doing the same thing – creating something from nothing, getting words on the page and arranging and rearranging until a story emerges, and something just feels right.
My books in the bookstore (book tent)
From l to r: Authors Lisa Steinke, Liz Fenton, Amy Sue Nathan, and me
My class: “How to catch a story”.
Arizona from the air