This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on September 1st, 2023. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.
See that title up there? I think I'll shout it again:
I wrote a whole book this summer!
The second book in my write-for-hire contract is turned in to my editor and the client. I'll have at least one round of revisions, but for the next few weeks...it's out of my hands!
I've been feeling triumphant since sending in my draft. In fact, this whole project has me feeling triumphant. I wrote most of book one while recovering from a detached retina in the spring. I wrote all of book two over my daughter's summer vacation, only some of which she spent in camp. (If I get to work on book three, I'm crossing my fingers for smoother sailing in the fall/winter?!) Working as a contractor, rather than as the sole creator, has been a new experience for me, but overall I've enjoyed it—and I can't wait for you to get to read the finished product in 2024.
So what's next?
I'm...not sure.
Maybe that book three I mentioned, above. Or maybe (hopefully!) the second book in the Science & Strange series, currently being considered on proposal. Maybe a proposal for more Class Critters. Or maybe I finally get back to the standalone middle-grade I've been working on for years and for which I have possibly, finally, figured out the final missing puzzle piece.
Or all of the above?
I wrote about battling the blahs a few weeks ago—about the inevitable letdown at the end of a contract and the uncertainty of what's on the horizon. As I look forward now, I'm trying to focus on the positives. Like all of those potential stories, waiting to be told!
Maybe, one answer to "what's next?" is, what would bring me the most joy? What will get me excited each day, as I sit down at my computer with my coffee? Can I prioritize those things? That doesn't mean I'm not wearing my business hat. I definitely need to have a conversation with my literary agent to strategize my next moves. But...how can I look at my career in a way that focuses on creativity and inspiration and—I'll say it again—joy?
Publishing books can be an anxious, uncertain thing. There are so many variables that affect whether what you write will reach readers. I've had enough letdowns in the eight-plus years that I've been a published author to know that I can't count on success. So, when I find myself enjoying writing something—looking forward to working on it—reading over it later feeling satisfied and fulfilled—that matters.
I've enjoyed this write-for-hire gig. The original idea and main character sketch might not have come from my own imagination, but I've made them my own. I like spending time in this world. At the same time, there are other characters and worlds I'm eager to get back to. Series and sequels and drafts and ideas.
I wrote a whole book this summer, and that's a huge accomplishment.
I like the book I wrote this summer—also huge.
I'm enjoying writing these days. I'm enjoying it a lot.
That's the biggest win of all.
~Kathryn
What I'm:
Reading: I snagged Kate Clayborn's Georgie, All Along from a box of free books a neighbor set out on their stoop—and I loved it! It's a romance about a woman who returns to her Virginia hometown, adrift after her assistant job in L.A. ends. When Georgie finds a scrapbook she and her best friend made in eighth grade, sharing their hopes and dreams (and perfect prom dates) for high school and beyond, she realizes that that was the last time she felt sure of herself and her future. Maybe looking back can help her find a path forward. (In the process, she meets the black-sheep, loner older brother of her high school crush...and sparks fly.)
Watching: "Only Murders in the Building" keeps getting better. I can't recommend this show highly enough.
Loving: During the last week of summer vacation, we squeezed in a few more adventures around the city. One day, I took the kiddo (joined by a friend and her two boys) to the Intrepid, a military museum housed on a decommissioned aircraft carrier docked in the Hudson River. Here she is exploring the flight deck, where they have tons of vintage jets and helicopters on display!
