More than a place--it's a writer's muse.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

What Now?



I admit it. For the last few months I've been horribly derelict in my duties as a Diva. While I was buying a home, selling a home, moving 1600 miles, and starting a new job, as well as recovering from the emotional hangover that came with the end of the America's Next Best Celler contest, I kept letting the blog fall to the bottom of my priority list.

Hell, I kept letting everything about writing fall to the bottom of my priority list. My muse stopped talking to me.

Now I've been in my new city for three weeks. I'm getting settled in. My condo is in a brand-spanking-new building right downtown. I'm within walking distance of the Alamo and the riverwalk, where the fiesta attitude and energy pulse nonstop. The neighborhood's filled with a colorful variety of people from tourists to Air Force basic trainees out on passes to panhandlers. There's plenty to get the creative juices flowing.

And my office is in a wonderful old building with a carved wood ceiling in the lobby (see pic) and rumor has it, a ghost or two -- not your typical Federal box. From 1937 to 1996 it was a hospital, and I'm told the area where my office is located used to be the nursery. That has to be good juju, don't you think?

I thought I'd have to hit the ground running, as the Army puts it, at the new day job. I had two hearings scheduled within my first month. But things didn't go as planned -- in a good way. One case settled, the other was dismissed by the judge at the last minute. For the moment anyway, things are under control.

In short, I've run out of excuses. It's time to get back to writing. Past time, I hear my muse grumble. Point taken.

So, now what? Do I go back to either of the light paranormals I started over the last couple of years? I started both with boatloads of enthusiasm and ideas I thought were unique, or at least not totally done to death. Somehow I ran out of steam both times. I need to decide if either manuscript is salvageable, or if I should start something new.

And what do I do with my fourth place-finishing Next Best Celler entry, Confessions of the World's Oldest Shotgun Bride? Rewrite it as erotica? Submit it to some e-publishers? Feed it to the paper shredder? (Just checking to see if you were paying attention with that last part - I wouldn't disrespect my work that way).

I have all kinds of options. But one of them isn't to keep pushing my writing to the margins of my life. I'm a writer. Writers write, everyone else makes excuses. It's time to get back to work.

10 comments:

Gail Hart said...
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Anonymous said...
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Bea Wellman said...

Hey Gail,

Welcome home - to SA that is. Yup gotta love this weather - raining all week and hot as blazes outside today.

As for the muse - you should find enought colorful characters outside on the streets of San Antonio ( I know - look at me). Good to know life goes on for all of us and I'm not the only one not able to write...Bea Wellman

Deborah Blake said...

Sometimes life just has to come first. But I'm sure you'll be writing like gangbusters now that you're settled! Glad everything worked out so well.

Jennifer L Hart said...

Submit, submit submit! And I'm not holding Saranna's whip when I say that!

Gail, if you are happy with Confessions, put it out there girl! You had a ton of fans who believed in you, believed in that story, if you take nothing else from the experience, remember that.

So get it out there, seund out two dozen query letters to agents and an editor or two and then get cracking on whatever is speaking to you. Even if it's nonsense.
in the words of Nora Roberts
"I can fix a bad page, but I can't fix a blank one."

Anonymous said...
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Gail Hart said...

Bea - Howdy neighbor! I hadn't noticed before that you live in SATX.

Deborah - Thanks for dropping by, and for the vote of confidence. BTW, remind me, when is the spell book going to be available?

Jenn - That quote from Nora is one of my very favorite writing quotes!

Robin said...
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Robin said...

Gail, first of all, Confessions is NOT an erotic novel. I know what the judge said way back when, and all I have to say is that she doesn't read many erotic works. To try and sub it as such would only shoot you in the foot for trying to get it into the wrong genre.

You've got a great story that was recognized. You have an author resume! Just keep putting your stuff out there and keep writing so that when you do get picked up, you have work to show for it. Us Divas are in no way one shot ponies. We're going to make it for the long run!

Get inspired, my sweet!

Anonymous said...

Gail,

San Antonio is an amazing city to let yourself be inspired by. God, the Riverwalk, the Alamo (didn't get to tour it, sadly) and all the lovely and amazing architecture and the very hip atmosphere combining art and music... I only got to visit and speak there once, but it's on my list of cities to absolutely return to. And I believe RWA (have you checked out sararwa.net ?) is slated to come to you in 2014! YAY!

Get inspired. Ignore the judges from that last contest. Robin's right (and not just because of her last name, either).

Get writing!
~Shannon

 
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