Ending the Hiatus

This month tends to get crazy around the house. Within the span of five weeks, all four of us have birthdays. My son turned six. My daughter, fourteen. My wife, twenty-seven. In two days time I will be a whopping thirty-two years old. Sprinkled within those four dates are also a father-in-law, nieces and nephews, and a few friends. So if I’m not attending a birthday party, I’m either hosting one or planning one. The current tally is: Attended=1, Hosted=2, Guest of Honor=0. As the month goes on, I’ll keep you abreast of that total.

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During a rare moment of quiet this chaotic month, I managed to slip away to see one of my favorite authors on his most recent book tour. This month Jim Butcher released his tenth book in the Dresden Files series, Small Favor.  For about a half an hour he answered questions and related amusing stories.  A few of them I’ve heard from previous signings I’ve been to.  One thing I found interesting that heard for the first time that day was how many drafts his books go through before reaching the everyday reader.  Seven.

There’s his first draft.  Then he makes his own revisions.  Then it goes to some beta readers, and he makes changes according to them.  Then off to his agent and more revisions.  From there it’s to the editor and a fifth round of edits.  The publisher and then the copy editor bring the tally to seven.  By that count he has seven versions of every book that he has written.

It was an enjoyable afternoon, and I’ll probably see him again if he should happen tour through this town for later books.

A Not-So-Pleasant Shade of Green

I recently read a blog post at Purple Hearts talking about envy.  In Jessica’s blog she tells how she, on occasion, feels envy for her fellow authors and their publishing credits.  More importantly it’s about how she in turn uses the envy to help motivate herself into writing more.  While I commend her on finding motivation where she can, I have to respectfully disagree.

Although envy might not be as poisonous as jealousy, the lingering aftertaste can make any amount of success bitter.  Let me explain what I mean.

When I write, I do it because I have a story to tell.  A message I want people to hear.   In some way or another it is unique in either subject or conveyance (I should hope anyways).  Once envy takes a hold, I’m no longer focusing on my unique work, but instead focusing on other’s unique work.  The danger in that is altering your own work to sound like the unique works of those you were busy being envious over.

I know it’s hard being on the outside looking in, wanting so bad to be included.  Stop and think for a moment.  What would you rather have, changing who you are and what you write so one day you could possibly be accepted by your peers, but know inside you would feel untrue to yourself, or would you rather continue creating the work that is uniquely you and gain the admiration from your peers, bring that party to you instead?

I know which I’d rather have.

It is human to have and deal with these emotions.  Letting them go and moving on takes more effort, but ultimately does ourselves better.