Blogligence strikes again. I get so caught up in writing books and staring into space that I forget the blog even exists. I neglect it. One day I realize I don't even remember where to find it.
At least it's for good reason; I'm approaching my final round of edits on Captain Millicent & The Black Pirate, but I've been avoiding it pretty actively. My first draft of Steam Dragon is two-thirds complete and every time something interrupts the flow it takes me days to get back into it. I actually had my first epic bout of writer's block (brought on by a combination of factors) and spent three days reading Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles 1 and 2 (BTW I am dying for book 3) and four of Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century books. Most people think that's insane. It may well be, but it did the job. Cracked the block and got back to it. Part of my trouble is that there's more intensity in book 2 than in book 1, and it's exhausting. In my actual life I go out of my way to avoid drama, but when I'm writing it's one drama after another (as well it should be, why would anyone read it otherwise?).
So I'm reluctant to deliberately put Steam Dragon aside to go back and finish touching up Black Pirate. Because I know I'll lose the thread. I was really on a roll for a while there and feeling rather smug.
Goodbye to the smug. Back to the grind.
I've been toying with the idea of self-publishing but in the end, I'm just not up for it. I've been an administrator and an executive assistant. I know how much work is involved in administrating a business. While I did those jobs, I didn't write a single word; there's a reason. And there's a reason why agents exist. They exist because someone has to do the hard work of getting the book out there, and let the writer do the writing. I just want to do the writing. That's the whole point, isn't it? I'm a writer. An agent is an agent. Some people can do it all for themselves - but in my case, just because I can doesn't mean I should.
So I'm about to embark on the terrifying adventure of submitting to agents, with the hope that someone who actually matters will see the potential in my books that I do.
