I have been in love with this comic strip since I first saw it (the original says, 'Throw ball? No take! Only throw!' which remains a direct distillation of our first incredible dog, Nilla), so I guess it's fitting this perfect format led to my first attempt at making my own meme.
Because, like so many writers have said before me, sometimes I don't like writing nearly as much as I like having written. The latter feels amaaaaazing. The former...often feels like work.
And on this, the week following a new release, I just want to bask in the new-book glory. I want all the new books! All the good stories!
But...wait. I have to...write? them? Huh.
Doesn't add up.
And yet, deadlines wait for no one, and I have a lot of writing to do to catch up to where I meant to be. For the record, that means I will mope about telling myself to write, do endless chores instead, fiiiiinally sit down to write, eventually get in a groove, and then enjoy the heck out of it.
I will learn nothing from this.
So all of that, including the endless chair spinning, is basically my writing process in this, the end of 2021. I'd love to blame the (whew-boy-heckuva) year for this, but it's really who I am as a person. I'll get it all done, just...at the deadline.
As evidenced by this year! The new release, my last for 2021 is, of course, Ally. It's live and in the world, and so far the reviews have been pretty rave (you don't have to take my word for it, you can see them here). Definitely making my holiday season bright!
Have you had a chance to read it? What did you think? If you still want to pick it up for your end of year/early next year reading, you can find it here.
Despite my brain's occasional refusal to write words, it's been a pretty productive year. Next year will have even more - including four stories accepted this year that will go out into the world in 2022.
I have a lot to be grateful for, even in the face of the bananapants nature of this year. My amazing co-writers, the fellow authors I get to learn from every day, incredible readers who are so passionate and thoughtful, opportunities to try new things and get great feedback. My family (the one I was born into, the one I married into, and the one I've built along the way). Some breathtakingly beautiful stops in this RV life...
Yeah, I'm going to focus on the positive for the last of 2021, spin in my chair, and write a bunch of words.
How are you seeing out 2021? I'd love to hear about it.
