With the 104th edition of the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook now safely at the printers, I've hit a bit of a mental slump.
After months of hard work - updating all those 5,000 or so listings, adding new ones, updating articles and making room for more - the buzz of having finished what I started has been short lived.
This is the pattern - I'll rush to the finish line and then find it's followed by a strange feeling of deflation. I imagine authors must feel similar when their books are completed? All that time and energy and then it's done, the pressure is off. It's the calm after the storm, but what happens during the calm?
I tell you what I do - I usually get a dose of coughs and sneezes, a few days of feeling grumpy, and then I start over. I tend to feel as if this is too daunting to contemplate. But, just like the buzz of completing the last job, those feelings are short lived and I'll return to the case, my enthusiasm flows and I'm back on track.
So deep breaths, onwards and upwards, battle on, grit those teeth and psyche up.
Warm wishes, Jo
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"So deep breaths, onwards and upwards, battle on, grit those teeth and psyche up."
Essential words of encouragement Jo, for anyone who dreams of accomplishing wonderful things. I maintain this frame of mind for any achievement, but it especially bears true for writing, as it can be a lengthy process; a satisfactorally completed project only achievable by stalwart dedication and perseverance. Because of the time and energy devoted to task, it is easy to suffer fatigue, but endurance of such hardships brings projects to fruitition. Those are times when encouragement is most needed by a writer, as they can be rare and something to cherish when received. In my opinion, every writer should be thankful to hear those words. But whether we have or not, it is great to hear it here, eloquently expressed by you, Jo.
Xean
6/3/7/2010
My copy of the 2011 yearbook arrived today and it is brilliant. Plenty of new information, and the article on how to write a decent synopsis is particularly good. Definitely worth ordering a copy.