What would you do with an expanse of uninterrupted hours?
Any ideas?
This week…
An expanse of uninterrupted hours
Launch land
Be frustrated or be open
One of my favourite romance writers
Two weeks ago, I spent a lovely day on a mini writer’s retreat in the Adelaide Hills. A room with tree-topped views, an array of desks, each housing a tea-sipping (or coffee-gulping) writer for the day. An expanse of uninterrupted hours, punctuated by quick chats in the kitchen and words on the page - or screen.
I spent the day working on Book 03, getting the five chapters I’d written last year from my notebook into a Word doc, shaping as I went. That kickstarted the momentum I needed to keep writing. I’m now over 10,000 words into the manuscript and I can feel the story pulling me forward. It feels good to be back in a new book writing rhythm after many months of revising and preparing Book 02 for publication.
As for Book 02 - Everything’s Absolutely Fine - I’m in launch land. It’s an exciting but also treacherous place to be. I’ve committed to doing more social media this launch - catch me on Insta and Facebook. And who knows, it could either be incredibly fruitful or a complete waste of time. I’ve got no clue.
I’ve also been consolidating the launch into one almighty event. Last time, I had three launches - a pre-launch book club, a Kickstarter and a live event. This time - only one - a Kickstarter. It means I can offer all the extras and goodies and launch exclusives all in one place. And it’s also the most obvious way to invite you to help bring a creative project to life. If you’re even semi-interested, I’d love to you sign up here to be notified when we launch. No pressure to commit to anything at this stage. But it certainly helps others to find the project who might not otherwise discover it.
This launch has illuminated something I wasn’t totally aware of before. My process can look a little like this: 1. Get excited about a vision. 2. Begin the project. 3. Get frustrated that I can’t find the right tools and resources to execute the project in line with my vision. Then the other day, I thought, what if I tried this instead: 1. Get excited about a vision. 2. Begin the project. 3. Be open to the available tools and resources reshaping the project and my vision. Wow!
Let me give you an example. When planning the Kickstarter, I’ve needed to work out how to print and distribute the books. I won’t bore you with all the options - there are plenty - but it all came down to shipping. Postage is expensive! Particularly, if you’re shipping overseas. I had to make a choice - control every step of the process - that was my original vision - or let go a little and allow circumstances to reshape my plans. I’ve gone with the latter. Will tell you more as we approach the launch date.
Another Kickstarter for you: When the Raven Soars. An Urban Fantasy Mystery: Enola Holmes x Supernatural with private investigators, magic, and a sprinkle of romance. Check it out here.
My son wanted me to watch this video on the oldest river in the Universe - the Fink River in Central Australia. Beau Miles is a self-confessed odd-ball wannabe farmer, maker of stuff from other people's junk - and filmmaker. The audacious beauty of this part of the world is on show. Definitely worth a watch.
I’m reading Emily Henry’s new book, Great Big Beautiful Life, and I’m so happy to be back in her world. Her characters ping off the page, the romance reals you in, and the self-discovery is satisfying. I love her books. She’s a gifted romance writer.
Until next time, love to you and yours,
