Being an author is like being in charge of your own personal insane asylum.

- Graycie Harmon

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

What, Already?

It just occurred to me yesterday afternoon that exactly fourteen days ago, this blog turned one year old.

Oh my goodness!

It all started when I finished The Great Man series. I had written four books in under a year (with intermittent fits of writing for two or three years prior... when I ought to have been studying, of course) and I started this blog. How fitting that two more novels, ten short stories five illustrations, and one full year later, I should be back to the story that started it all...

To rip it apart and make it new again.

Ugh!

Oh well, such is life.

Life in general had improved significantly just prior to starting this blog. I was fired from a terrible job, with a terrible boss, who'd change his mind about a task (but only after I'd already done it) and bounced my cheques. I was barely getting by with help from the government.

I was in a miserable place.

Then, just as 2008 ended, I got my current job. I quite like it here. The people are friendly and, perhaps most importantly, not a single bounced cheque! I also started writing again. I don't know what happened.

It had only been a hobby of mine prior to this. I would jot down bits of story as I contemplated what the hell to do with my life. Then suddenly the floodgates were opened. I couldn't stop writing. Moreover, I had this ridiculous urge to publish.

For those of you who know me, willingly putting myself up for rejection was a big, big, BIG deal for me. As readers of this blog will know, it hasn't been easy. I've cried many tears, gnawed many a nail down to the quick and even had a temper tantrum or two. Sorry about that.

So much has happened since writing found me, lost and floundering like a fish out of water. I've made some incredible friends (thanks, you guys), and done a whole lot of writing. Two more books in a different series have been written. The Seraphimé Saga only has two books in it, so it wasn't quite as much work as finishing, or pseudo-finishing, The Great Man.

I will be submitting Book 1, The Osprey and the Crow for a competition as soon as my Beta Readers hand it back to me.

I've written and illustrated a short story anthology entitled The Dying God & Other Stories. It has just been returned by the Beta Readers (thanks so much everyone) and I'll be making final adjustments. It goes on sale on Hallowe'en at Lebrary.com. I'm quite excited about it. I've received good feedback for it, so I'm happy to be publishing it.

I had, prior to the sudden burst of inspiration, retired The Great Man series from active life. I had become so disheartened by the rejections, though most of them were very positive and lovely (I still have one from a lovely agent posted on my computer monitor, so I can look at it and be happy), that I figured it simply wasn't good enough for consumption.

At the beginning of this month, I had a sudden urge to dust it off and look it over once again. There have been some additions to the first book, some rearranging and so on. I've given the first book, The Third Prince, another shot at life. Who knows? Perhaps this time around, it might get picked up.

In the meantime, I'll be going through the second book, Lord of Horses. Then I'll be ripping apart the final two books, turning them into three books. Thus the series will now be five books instead of four, and a good deal stronger, I think.

Yesterday, instead of doing any of the stuff I was supposed to, I ended up mucking around on the internet. Curse thee, internet! I am determined to make a start on rearranging Lord of Horses today. Right after I judge these short stories that have been sitting in my inbox since Sunday morning...

Have a great Tuesday everyone! Righto, back to work for me!

4 comments:

Plind said...

sounds like you have had a very productive year, writing wise at least! Best of luck with your re-organizing of The Great Man!

S.M. Carrière said...

Thanks, Plind! It has been a great year... as of now.

How is your writing coming?

Plind said...

My writing as been pretty stellar of late actually. I had a similar problem as you, being that my story needed to be divided up into multiple parts. I just finished the first book of it recently. I must say, it does feel good to have written so much, I can only imagine how you feel when you look at all your works!

S.M. Carrière said...

When I first finished 'The Great Man.' I sent an email to my friends, I did a ludicrous happy dance by myself, and I celebrated with a bottle of my favourite red wine and some chocolate. It was glorious.

Now when I finish writing a book, I don't quite get the same rush. The first one is just special...