Tuesday 13 August 2019

The Best-Laid Plans .... by Sheena Wilkinson


March

Sheena to Sheena:
 Ooh, I can’t wait to get my manuscript delivered next month and then I can write ALL THE THINGS!!! ALL THE SHINY NEW THINGS!!!!!




all the ideas! 

April


Sheena to Sheena:
Hooray! I've delivered my book, and you know what, I feel kind of exhausted.  I feel almost as if I have been writing books non-stop for over ten years, and using all the time I'm not doing events and things to write more books*. I feel like the girl in The Red Shoes -- scared to stop dancing, only in my case it's writing. 

*That's because I HAVE been writing books non-stop for ten years, etc. 




May

Sheena to Sheena:
OMG! I have had the BEST idea. I'm going to take the summer off! I am going to STOP DANCING/WRITING and let myself recover. I am going to walk and run, and play my guitar and spend more time with the people I love, and go on holidays and just BE. I can't wait. 

more of this kind of thing, thank you




June

Publisher to Sheena:
Um, we kind of hate your book. We think it needs a MAJOR REWRITE

Sheena to Sheena (three seconds later):
They are WRONG!

Sheena to Publisher (a day later):
Oh, that is rather deflating. But of course I will look at your concerns with interest and an open mind.

Sheena to Sheena (a day later):
Hell! They are RIGHT! This needs a MAJOR REWRITE
some cheerful ice cream cones to distract from beastliness of rewriting 


July

Sheena to Sheena:
This is HARD WORK. This is not the summer I planned. But this is going to be a much better book. Thank God for such good publishers. 

August

Sheena to Sheena:
Another draft done! Phew! Time for a quick holiday before the final draft. What a relief!

the forest that keeps me sane while I write...and rewrite... 


OMG! ABBA post due. What on earth can I write about...?

6 comments:

Penny Dolan said...

Well, thank you for managing to get this ABBA post done, Sheena, and for writing about the way that plans don't go according to plan.

Sending good wishes, good spirits and plenty of writing energy for August.

Sue Purkiss said...

Phew! Hope you can fit in a rest now...

Anne Booth said...

This is so good. I totally understand all those feelings! And I bet the finished book is great too! But isn't it hard? I've only been a published author since 2014 and I totally understand that Red Shoes analogy.

Lynne Benton said...

Hang in there, Sheena! You are such a good writer, I'm sure this will be a temporary blip - and well done for getting this post written too!

Rowena House said...

Oh, wow. What a post. I admire you hugely and hope you find time soon to run, walk, play music, take time with people you love, eat ice cream on holiday, and BE.

Sheena Wilkinson said...

Thank you so much for the all the lovely supportive comments. I genuinely WAS on holiday which is why I am only catching up now!