The bit in the middle, between Christmas and New Year, has been mercifully quiet for us. We knew that we would probably crash and burn once the big day was over, and we did. On Monday, which was really Boxing Day, we did nothing. We got up late, we didn’t go anywhere, we didn’t call anyone. We just chilled.
The plan, of course, was to do a lot more work for the bit in the middle, but we simply haven’t managed to get out of that slump. We’ve both had colds again, and we’ve both tested for Covid again, but thankfully we’re both negative – again. But that’s how bad our colds have been.
We’ve been for a couple of short rides in the car and picked up a few bits to nibble on. But that’s all. We’ve not done any more work. We’ve literally taken the time off to rest and recharge.
Mentally, i.e. inside my head, I’ve been planning for the new year. I’ve pretty much decided on my first two personal deadlines for 2023:
- Finish Project Management for Writers: Gate 2
- Polish Diary of a Pussycat.
The rest of the time I was wondering what to do when, and I was going to start a journal off for The Fool.
When I pulled out all of my unfinished projects, though, I decided to work on Catch the Rainbow first. It’s a complete mess, with lots of different drafts mingled in with each other as one big one. So I decided to sit and sift through it, retype it, rewriting or making notes as I go, and put it into some sort of order.
Rather than start something new or continue working on something that is still in the early stages, I thought it would be better to just get this book off my desk and out there, doing the rounds. So I opened up a new Scrivener file, and started to copy-type it in chronological order. I can go back when it’s all done and put it into a more interesting order.
This book is going to go off on the rounds, and I will take on board any critical and constructive feedback. If no one chooses to risk it, then I’ll publish it myself. But I hope I can hit the sweet spot in this rewrite.
I have my lovely new FiloFax, so I can plan the year again and work from a diary again, and I did spend some time setting up my ideas binder. I will talk about this in more detail once it’s up and running again. For now, there are just a load of empty pages and I know that in January I’ll be thinking July. I’ll still use the January to June sheets to plan blog posts and anything else I can rustle up quite quickly.
The other thing I did during the bit in the middle was make contact again with the Yorkshire-based publishers I’ve been working with for more than a decade now. I haven’t seen any of them since way before the pandemic and, apparently, they’ve moved premises now. So in the new year I’m going to return some books to them and hopefully catch up with them. One of the newer staff members has been keeping me busy and I’d love to meet her, but I’d also love to reconnect with my other handlers there too.
So that’s what I’ve been doing during the bit in the middle: chilling and doing a little work that appeals to me at the moment.
I’ll be back on Tuesday with a book review, and then I’ll be back posting daily with news and updates.
I hope you all have a happy and safe new year weekend. See you on the other side.
