Four Weeks of No Writing Bliss?

It’s ironic that my first blog post I write is about taking a break from my novel! I’m deep in the editing pits of my debut, but for the next four weeks, I’m leaving my work in the hands of my beta readers.

Who are they? I took the crazy chance and sent it to my closest friends and family members (though I generously warned them of the one spicy scene in chapter 19.) While they were busy reading about Fae, I stepped back and traveled to Vegas.

It was my husband's and my anniversary, and what’s a better way to express our love to one another than sending the kids to their grandparents and enjoying the 110-degree weather? I sound sarcastic, but I promise I had a wonderful time. Vegas is my vice, where I could relax, enjoy a show, and not feel guilty for eating cold pizza at eight in the morning.

However, after one week of no line editing, no revising, and certainly no rereading chapters from my debut novel, I concluded I must do something with my shaking hands, as I cannot and will not relax. Here’s what I focused on instead.

Stepping up my social media game

I created an Instagram account over the summer, but consistently posting overwhelmed me, especially when I was in the midst of line editing. Therefore, I deactivated my account (or so I believed, but I somehow gained two followers during my hiatus).

Now with the extra time, I self-reflected and thought, how do I want to present myself on social media? Sure, there are the clickbait trends that authors swear will catapult you to the JK Rowling (or at least the Rebecca Yarros and Sarah J. Maas) status. While some are appealing, others feel as desperate as selling feet pictures to the basement-dweller crabs. I’ll save the feet pics for now and post to the best of my ability. While I'm still trying to get the hang of creating captivating posts, my favorite Instagram activity has been finding other aspiring authors like myself. Slowly, but surely, I'm building a community of writers and readers

Created my website

I have created one before; in fact, for my wedding, I created my own website because my perfectionist, creative mind hated the options presented to me on other wedding websites. I even bought a personalized domain name! Unfortunately it’s now discontinued, but it was a kick-ass site.

But it's been over two years since I created one, and I wanted to pull my hair out after every inconvenience! After fuming at the keyboard as widgets took forever to load on the page, I finally published a simple website. My goal for the site is to post weekly-ish blog posts as a way to track my progress both in my novels and someday in my writing career.

Could it potentially provide more? Who knows, it depends on how many visitors I receive.

Worked on my second novel

Yes, my delusional writer mind believes my debut deserves a second (honestly, it does; it just makes the story so much better). Writing my second has been creative motivation for what's to come for my characters. Working on my second is like any seconds in life; you are more stable in your knowledge, you doubt yourself less, but certain things deeply remind you that this is just the beginning of your journey. I have more confidence and a few more tools under my belt, but I’m addicted to using the word “that” or "only," and a dash of "just."

With these four weeks, I’m reflecting on how much my writing has changed and how I have grown as a writer.

Writing has allowed me to play and develop more confidence in the creative field. My big takeaway from my debut hiatus is that I’m in a fortunate spot in my life where I could pursue a creative journey without the other stressors in life. My kids are healthy and happy, and my marriage is so splendid that I somehow fall more in love with my partner every day (even after six plus years of being together).

Maybe my new appreciative, relaxed ideology stems from us entering my favorite time of year. As I'm writing my post, raindrops streak down my office window, the first rainfall we had in months. On my Instagram, I posted my writer’s fall bucket list; though I haven’t bought my candle yet, I am enjoying a cup of spicy, cinnamon tea. Either way, no matter where we are in our writing journey, this is a perfect time to take a moment for ourselves and celebrate where we are at—whether it is taking a break or, at least, stepping away from the keyboard and enjoying the sound of hot coffee pouring into your favorite mug.

For those who stayed this long, thank you for reading and encouraging an aspiring writer to continue their journey. For other fellow writers who stopped by my page, welcome. I hope you enjoyed your visit.

Love,

Alise Nicole Kane