I will finish my rewrite this week – probably in two or three days – and in spite of how sloggish it felt, it will end up taking only two weeks longer to write than my first draft took. Thirteen weeks instead of eleven. And considering I lost a whole week to the flu, and the holidays happened, I suppose it wasn’t that slow at all. Worth it? Yes – this draft is infinitely better than the first. I’m even starting to love it.
So what's next? Many things, in fact. Given the interest expressed by the agents I met with last month, I want to keep working and reworking the novel until it exceeds my best expectations. In order to do that, I will be taking some writing classes, adding new ideas to my admittedly-limited palate and, ideally, building myself into a community of writers at the Hugo House. But all of this won’t kick off for more than a month. In the meantime?
First, I’m taking a break from the book. I will keep writing – perhaps by blogging more often? – but I need to let the book rest. I need a fresh perspective. I need to work through it in my subconscious, I need to ignore it, I need to reboot my creativity. And in spite of how much fun I've had with the rewrite lately, I am so so so excited for the break! Then the class, the third draft, and so on.
Second (get ready for it): I’m going back to work. What? Work? Full-time work? Yes, and guess what? I’m excited about this too! The right opportunity came along, the right combination of factors made me a top candidate for an admittedly LARGE job, and so, I’m diving in head-first, moving from the heartbreaking world of politics into the significantly more creative world of communications and marketing. I have the chance to recreate my career – what a thrill! Imagine me dancing around my home office and it’ll be almost like you’re here.
The timing is right: the rewrite will be done, I’m taking a break from it anyway, our household budget and savings accounts are nearly in tatters, I miss having an income in a BIG way, and I really can't imagine a better fit for the next chapter of my career; I think, in fact, I may have written those very words into my cover letter.
More details will come in the days and weeks ahead, but suffice it to know that big changes loom and I am clicking my heels about them all.
These past six months? Entirely worth it!
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