Solstice Season

I had so much to do all year--formatting the books, rewriting, tweaking, writing, learning Photoshop (yikes, that was hard) that I didn't have much time to think.  Now things are slowing down just a little I've had time to consider where I am and where I might be in the coming weeks.  I decided not to publish the teen travel series from Berkley as it's too much work to get it to where I would be somewhat pleased with it.  I'm still on the fence about the companion book to Love After Lunch or whatever it should be titled.  I don't think I'll publish that any time soon. 

Amanda Hocking's experience gave me much to ponder in addition to the new situation we writers find ourselves in. As fast as you can write, you can have a book published.  I mostly love this very much.  I hope, not even to speak of others, I am not encouraged to revert to the speed I had when I started this career.  Taking time to reflect on the work is a good thing.  Even if readers don't care, I want to care.

It does seem like the current market is all about story and plot and not about depth.  Well, okay then.  I can strike a middle ground and please myself and my potential readers.

The winter Solstice occurs on Dec. 21.  Even the most rudimentary thinkers who lived in huts or caves could discern when the dark of the days ceased growing longer and began growing shorter.  Day lengthened and night receded.  Good for them!  So there was a celebration.  There was a renewal.  The evergreen trees were dragged out of the forest and paraded through town.  Yippee, life can return.  There is an organic reason to look to the future now instead of the artificial date of January 1.

I did a great deal of research and thinking about the story that became Blue Raja.  I think it will help me now.

I don't know how much I believe in astrology.  It's fun to play with.  I like tarot card, too.  My sun is in the 5th house which is the mark of the gambler.  I think being a writer at all is a pretty big gamble and maybe satisfied any further wish to gamble in my life but I tend to be a risk taker on my work.  Risks are not as huge as they were a year ago. 

If you write a book and can't find an agent or a publisher, you can be out 2 or 3 years of your life in an investment that won't pay off.  Plus you probably have written something to please agents and editors instead of readers.  Now you have the investment of the time it took you to write the book and the realistic hope it will find an audience.

This is such a good time to be alive.