I don't think the Blog Queens knew how much things would be changed when they came up with "change" as the theme for this month's blog.
This past year, I've had two conferences I was excited to attend canceled. I now have boxes of swag sitting in my office and no way of knowing when it will get handed out to readers. The chocolate coins are going to have to be handed out or they will go bad.
I'm in the process of setting up a ZOOM meeting with a library for a book signing I was scheduled to do in October. And an in-person presentation I and Maggie Lynch have been working on for the PNBA conference in October, I'll now be doing my part via ZOOM if we can get it set up.
My personal life, little has changed. We live in a small rural community. We do wear masks when going to stores, but life on our property goes on as usual. We irrigate the hay field, harvest the hay, take care of the horses and steers, and I ride my horse by myself or with the grandkids down the road. We visit with our daughter's families, I visit my dad in his senior living facility, and we go to the volleyball games our granddaughter plays in.
A writer on another blog I'm on wrote about putting the pandemic in her contemporary books. She gave good reasons for why she didn't and good reasons for why she is thinking about putting it in in future books.
Me and my need to write "real" even in my fiction, I'd have to add in not just the wearing of the masks, but also the split among people on the vaccination. I don't like dealing with that kind of conflict, and therefore, have decided to leave the whole pandemic business out of my books. Besides, people read to get away from the real world. Why bring in something that they are trying to get away from for a short period of time?
Change for me in the coming year will be taking more me time and writing one less book a year. I'm trying not to beat myself up over the fact I will have written one less than I had planned this year. But, I spent more time with family. While the writing is always nagging at the back of my brain, family is first, always has been.
But writing comes second, because to me writing is fun. I enjoy coming up with characters, plots, and surprises in my books. My imagination will be going long after I can actually write a book, of that I have no doubt!
Right now I'm closing in on the end of book 8 in the Gabriel Hawke Novels. The title is Churlish Badger. Then I'll be on to the next Spotted Pony Casino Mystery. Titled House Edge. I have twenty more animals picked for titles of the Hawke books and I have a dozen gambling terms picked out for the titles of the Spotted Pony Casino books. I think those should keep me busy for a while and keep me from dwelling on the changes around me. ;)
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6 comments:
Spot on. Don't 'change' a word.
Paty, the BQ's were thinking of the change of seasons, school starting - mundane things like that. I like the idea of you having more family time this coming year. Is "Churlish Badger" #50?
It is frustrating to switch from in person to Zoom. I feel for you. It's hard enough you are so far away. The good news about Zoom though is everyone knows how to use it now. That means the world is open to discussions, interviews, and book talk from authors who may have never been able to travel out of their community.
I hear you on the family comes first rule. I'm the same way. Akso the older I get the more family needs there are. 51 books is quite the accomplishment. I'm betting we'll see 50 more before you hang up your hat. I'm looking forward to every one of them.
Enjoy your me time, Paty - you deserve a break. Glad you are having fun with family too - so important these days. Congrats on reaching 50 books and now 51 and on to more! And enjoy letting go of the need to push all the time. That is one of the things I have allowed myself this year. Life has been stressful enough with outside occurrences, so pushing ourselves harder is counterintuitive to taking care of self.
Paty, I enjoyed your post. I've followed you through all the changes in your career. You just keep getting better and better! I will always be your fangirl.
Paty, Change is good, but positive change is better. I am with you on not writing about the pandemic. We need to take care of ourselves and each other and focus on family first/writing second like you say in this piece. Fifty books is wonderful. I agree with Maggie in wishing you fifty books more.
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