Time Off

Okay, I’ve been violating my own rules.  The consistent readers of this blog – both of you – know that I often say that writing is like going to the gym.  Doing it every day creates a habit, while skipping a day makes it easier to skip the next day as well.  That said, I haven’t written anything except this blog since I completed After Armageddon.

In other words, I’ve been a lazy bastard.  And it’s been great.

I needed to refresh myself after completing three novels, one of which was the longest I’ve ever written, in the past year.  So I decided to take a break from writing.

I haven’t been a completely lazy turd.  Most of you know I just returned from a year overseas with work, and I’ve been getting acquainted with my new job.  I’ve also been spending time with my family and our new house.  And then there’s this blog, which helps me keep up at least stroking on the keys.  However, I haven’t started any new projects, despite an itch to do so.

Part of it is to not worry if I don’t reach a certain word count each day.  Part of it is that I want to devote maximum effort to bringing Akeldama into the public square.  Since it will be my first book out, and will be out in a little less than a year, I need to make sure I do everything I can to do it right, and a new book would distract me from that.

And you know what?  I’m okay with this.  I’ve written nine total novels in the past few years, and I need to get them out to see if I can do this for a living before I embark on a new time consuming crusade.  I intend to write the occasional short story when the urge hits me since I both need an outlet for my imagination and I will be bringing out a short story collection at some point after I’m established, but that’ll be the extent of it.  It’s time to move forward with publication rather than writing.

Plus, writing was becoming a chore, something I didn’t enjoy as much as I used to.  Therefore, a break will allow me to be reinvigorated whenever I get back into it.  We all need time off.