Some folks seemed to really like my post from last week detailing my weekend author plans, so I’ve decided to do it again! But this weekend’s a little different…
Going into this weekend, I had several author-y things I wanted to accomplish:
- Finish editing Seaside Valleria #1.
- Finish up the marketing pieces for Seaside Valleria #1 (FYI – this book does have a name which I’m hoping to reveal next week!)
- Start editing Royals 10 (yes, that’s right! I received the next Royals book – a novella – back from my developmental editor and it’s time to start revising before I send it to my copyeditor – whoo hoo!)
- Start working on the cover for Royals 10
- Keep writing Seaside Valleria 3
- Other life/author admin-type stuff.
Will I now get to work on them all? Probably not.
I’ve mentioned a little about some health issues I have, and they are flaring up again. Pushing myself at the day job sometimes means I push my body too much to be very productive in the evenings. Well, having a stressful week at work means I might not have the fabulously productive weekend of my dreams.
I used to hate when my body got like this, because my mind is always racing to finish books and plot new ones and plan for new releases but my body is forcing me to slow down and stay put. I used to hate those times. I still don’t like these times very much (who wants to deal with any kind of long-term or chronic health issue?) but I’m slowly learning to manage these times differently. I have to play each day by ear, see how I feel when I wake up in the morning, and plan out my day then. Trying to force myself to do too much (when, if it gets bad, I won’t even be able to get out bed much at all) isn’t going to do me any favors. I’ve got to think about next week, too…I’ve got another stressful week coming up at the day job, which means if I push too hard this weekend I’ll be useless there next week.
Do I push myself at my dream job, or do I push myself at my pays-the-bills job? It’s a tough choice, but right now it has to be the latter.
I’ll still keep my to-do list above, those tasks will still get done, but they may not get done this weekend, and I’m okay with that. Deadlines can be pushed, other people can adjust their deadlines, too. I always used to feel bad asking people to get extensions or move things around. And, while I do still feel a little bad, I’ve realized that this is just life. My editors are fabulous people who understand that life is crazy and that things change and – most importantly – that health comes first. It’s important to surround yourself in times like these with people who are more concerned about you than the deadline you might miss (especially if you have a lot of negative people in your life).
I hope my readers understand, too. Last year especially I felt terrible because I’d planned to publish four books last year and I published exactly…zero. That’s right. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. I kept pushing publishing dates back and back and back until I had no choice but to admit that I couldn’t manage it all with my health. I did give out a free short story, but that was it. This is one reason why I don’t announce release dates for my books anymore. If my health flips in an instant, I don’t want to disappoint anyone, so I’d rather wait until I have all the pieces together before I set the release date. So many of my readers have been understanding about it and they sent me some very kind words, too. They also waited over a year for Sarah’s story and I’m so thankful to have the fans I do.
I just have to remind myself to keep things in perspective. This is just one weekend out of the year. I might have other weekends where I’m not feeling well, but I’ll have other weekends where I’m feeling great and finish everything on my to-do list. Life is finding your way through those extremes to find that balance somewhere in the middle. Here’s hoping I find a little balance this weekend.
(P.S. – I realize the image I made for this post may not make sense with the theme, so here’s a little side note for my Vallerian superfans. The models in the picture are the same ones on my current cover for Princess Catharine’s book (Royals #6). I was recently re-reading that book for a specific reason and it reminded me how much I love Cat’s sassy, sweet, and (yes, I know) slightly spoiled character, and how much fun it was writing the love story of the princess and her bodyguard. The quote on the picture was something I could imagine Cat saying. Now, why was I revisiting this story, you ask? It might have something to do with Royals #10 (Cat & Eddie do make a brief appearance!), or it might also have something to do with me pondering a spin-off series of Cat and Eddie with his crew in Chames…does that sound like something you’d be interested in reading? Let me know in the comments!)
~xoxo Marianne
This is Post 12 of 100 as part of the #100DaysofMKAuthorLife.
I would love to see what happens with Cat and a Eddie. A spin-off series sounds great but I don’t want you to be over taxed. I am guilty of pushing through the pain to get my tasks done and then later I cannot move without gasping and groaning. Pleas take care of yourself.
Thank you, Emily! I am taking it easy today, for sure. And thanks for letting me know you’d love to see more from Cat & Eddie. 🙂
I also think that Chames group and especially Cat & Eddie could be your next series. But, I also have terrible health, I have a pain pump installed inside my body for chronic pain from an auto accident, year’s ago. So take care and don’t push it.
Thanks so much for sharing, Sonja, and for letting me know you’d like to see more from Cat and Eddie. I’m not sure if they’d be next (I’m already thinking of another spin-off series after I wrap up the Seaside Valleria series next year) but I like to start thinking WAY in advance just in case my muse decides I should write something else first. 🙂