Work-a-day
Nov 29th, 2006 by Sandra
Well, I have just four more days of freedom before beginning “real world” work. Yep, I got myself a full-time job and am off to make my fortune since I clearly wasn’t going to make it writing romance. 
No, seriously, I think that for me, the closing of Bombshell was just what I needed to jump my butt off the fence. I was sitting there wondering when (or if) I should start writing a mainstream novel, and the truth was that I was ready for a break. Writing is hard work for me. I’m a perfectionist; I procrastinate; I drive myself nuts with deadlines; I end up hating the novel. The only novel I didn’t end up being frustrated with was The Orchid Hunter, and I consider that book a gift — flowed straight out to the page and although it needed kind of a big rewrite, that was okay because the book was so much better.
But now, I’m thinking a nice break from the writing is going to be a good thing. I’d like to rediscover the joy of writing for the sheer hell of it rather than to a deadline. I used to think that being under deadline was good for me, but I’m learning (slowly) that I do much better and write more interesting stuff when I allow the story to percolate and ease itself onto the page in its own time.
That plan isn’t particularly good for the career, but at the same time it does wonders for my sanity.
And the pressure will be off when I formally start work. I can concentrate on giving eight good hours to my employer every day and if a scene strikes me during lunch, I can still scribble it down without feeling like that draft ought to be perfect because the book is due in a month and I’m behind. 
Here’s to a more sane (for me) lifestyle!
As a reader, this makes me very sad. I love your books. But I applaud your self-honesty and your courage for doing the right thing for YOU even if it’s not what a lot of other people would do. Good luck!
Thanks for the good wishes, Natalie. I wasn’t particularly ready for all this to happen, but then life rarely waits for me to be ready before it starts lobbing changes at me. On the other hand, I believe in the universe’s timing and judgment more than my own….
I still have an orphaned Bombshell that I’m waiting to hear about, and the mainstream keeps percolating, so I don’t expect to be out of the game for long. I just hope to come back in a healthier (for me) way.
Congrats on the job, but I agree with Natalie - this is sad news for your readers. As long as you promise not to quit writing, I’ll just be happy for you that you’re moving into a new phase and wish you luck. Hope the job turns out to be great and helps you rediscover the joy in your writing. Best of luck and keep us posted!
Good luck to you in your new endeavor. Take care of yourself and come back to your readers when you’re ready. We’ll wait.
Good luck today!
Hope you had a great first day!