Life Is What Happens....

Life Is What Happens…. by Lynn Lovegreen

“Life is what happens while you’re planning something else.” It’s not clear who said this first, maybe John Lennon? But I agree with it, anyway. Whether you’re a plumber or counselor or homemaker, any role in life, you’ve experienced this at one time or another. It happens to writers, too.

It is now December 2015, and I was supposed to be done with my current work-in-progress long ago, so I could go on vacation and sit on the beach drinking a Mai Tai or whatever to celebrate. But, of course, that’s not what happened.

I have been working on my novel about the building of the Alcan (Alaska) Highway for over a year now. Last fall, my husband and I drove the Alcan on a research trip to clear up any historical questions remaining, and I revised the draft a few more times. Somehow, it just wasn’t jelling. In June, I talked with an agent who helped me pinpoint the problem: I had the wrong hero. So I wrote a new draft and revised that a couple times. But it’s not finished yet.

So my husband and I are on vacation, but the novel is simply on hiatus, taking a break like I am. When we get back to Alaska, I’ll go through it one more time, show it to a few trusted colleagues, revise a little more, and then, maybe, it will be finished. Perhaps if we take a vacation next spring, that will be the celebration trip. Oh well. That’s okay. I’m hoping this extra time will lead to a bigger and better book. Writers are usually optimistic about our work. :-) 

Happy holidays to you, wherever you are today!

Lynn Lovegreen grew up in Alaska, and still lives there. Her young adult historical romances are set in the Alaska Gold Rush, a great time for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com.