Replenish your writing mind
Whenever I come to the end of self-publishing a book, I am asked the same question: What are you going to do next? Do you know if it will be a novel, a short story, a series, or a stand-alone?
Sometimes I know, and sometimes I don’t.
Jumping into a new novel is not something I can think about while I’m proofreading the current book and preparing for launch. Even though I’m close to finishing one novel, starting another seems too big a venture to think about, too far out of range.
At that point, I’m like a person who’s nearing the end of a walk across the desert. All I want to do is take a shower, have a few drinks, and sleeeeep.
What I need when I finish a novel is, plain and simple, to rest and recharge.
After that, I can hope to rise anew with a flicker of inspiration that wants to do it all again, most likely in a very different way, with a very different book.
Here’s what the aftermath of publication looks like for me:
REST
Sleep. I wish I could say I slept in every day for a week after publishing Cold Light, but my house is not conducive to such a thing. I live with two monkeys (actually cats) who enjoy the early-rising lifestyle of a writer (me), and do not do well with shifts in routine. So, at their requests (ceaseless mews), I rise early, feed the beasts, and once in a blue moon return to bed for a little extra shuteye. That, sadly, is the best I can do.
Books and Audiobooks. I really, really miss being able to dive into a great novel when I’m burning the candle at both ends in order to publish a book, so once I’ve finished, I’m on Libby and Audible scouring the offerings. At the same time, I’ll check to see which of my friends have new books, and I’ll read a few of those. Then I’ll see what paperbacks and hardcovers are waiting for me. I prefer Kindle reading these days—the screen is very much like ink on paper, and I can make the text as large as I want.
Vegetables and Flowers. I don’t even care if the deer/chipmunks/rabbits nibble anymore. There’s something organically relaxing about digging in the dirt and encouraging plants to take root and flowers to blossom.
Food. I do more cooking when I have more time.
Movies and TV Series. This is something I do all year, but I do more of it when I'm not writing late into the night.
Less Time on Social Media. Posting on social media can feel like a daily grind even for those who love being there. It’s nice to take a lesser approach for a while. For instance, I try to post twice a day when I have a launch coming up, but after the dust has settled, posting once a day, or a few times a weeks, is more than enough.
Visiting Places. Taking a road trip every now and then can be a great thing. I love to step out of my world and enter one that doesn’t know me.
Enjoying Time Away from the Computer. It’s a lot easier to give your eyes a rest when you’re not proofreading your way through a 300-page book a dozen times. It’s great to get away from the screens!
RECHARGE
Freelance Editing. I love editing, so this is fun for me. I haven’t had a huge amount of time for it the past five years, and I’ve scheduled a few months of work. It’s nice not to have a novel-writing pressure for a change. I’m sure I’ll get to the point where I wish I had time to attack my next project, but for now, I’m indulging in other writers' manuscripts.
Learning via Zoom Classes. It’s always fun to take a fresh look at marketing or branding or whatever it is you want to brush up on.
Writing Blogs and Articles. The article writer in me has more time to come out when the novel me is resting.
Spreading My Reading Wings. This just means reading outside of my genre. I’m thinking about writing a short story, so I’m reading an anthology or two to get the feel for the shorter form. I’m also diving more deeply into the fantasy genre. Will it inspire me to write an epic fantasy? No. It will not. The characters' names are too hard to pronounce!
Upping My Exercise Routine. Every few years I sink into an exercise rut brought on by doing the same things over and over again. I’ve been walking for exercise for a while, so I found some workout videos online, and I’m going to fit them into the walking schedule.
Saying Yes to Concerts, Outings, Visits. I still do some of this when I’m writing a book, but when I’m recharging, I do more of it. Now is the time to take advantage of the freer schedule.
Living Life Away from Technology. Something about cell phones and computers makes a person busier than they naturally would be. As an exercise in recharging, I sometimes go an entire day (imagine!) without looking at my phone.
How long will I rest and recharge? Just until the flames of my mind's creative fire rekindle.
What do you do in between projects? Reply to this email to let me know!
Read more Self-Pub 101 blog posts HERE.
