After
chaining myself to my desk last month to get the latest revision of my
forthcoming suspense novel, “client-ready” (i.e., ready for beta reading), I
pretty much collapsed on my couch when it was all over. I also felt a bit at loose ends. For months, this book had consumed pretty
much waking hour, so I had to readjust to life on the “outside.”
No, really. “Do nothing” can come in the form of flopping on the couch to stare mindlessly at a “Law and Order” marathon for a few hours (doesn’t matter which entry in the franchise you go with, any one will do), clearing out all those “Real Housewives” episodes out of your DVR, laying by the pool or dozing off in a lawn chair in your backyard. Shut down your brain and let it recharge for a minute.
So what do
you do when you no longer have a book to write?
Read on:
Do
NothingNo, really. “Do nothing” can come in the form of flopping on the couch to stare mindlessly at a “Law and Order” marathon for a few hours (doesn’t matter which entry in the franchise you go with, any one will do), clearing out all those “Real Housewives” episodes out of your DVR, laying by the pool or dozing off in a lawn chair in your backyard. Shut down your brain and let it recharge for a minute.
Clean
the House
Remember that scene in “Romancing the
Stone” when Kathleen Turner’s novelist character is so engrossed in finishing
the draft of her book, she lets her house go to pot? Yeah, that was pretty much the situation at
mi casa. Busting out the Mr. Clean and Clorox wipes was
therapeutic and I can once again see my reflection in the mirror.
Get
out of the House
By now, you’re likely sick of looking at
your four walls (even if they are finally clean) and you need to get away. Go to a movie, get a massage, hit the beach –
whatever – just escape your computer for a while. You’ll be back in front of it soon enough.
Reconnect
with Friends and Family
Your relationships have probably taken a
back seat during the final push to get the book done, so spend some quality
time with friends and family before you descend back into the madness of the
next book.
Start
the Next Book
Speaking of, start the next book. I let a about a week or so pass before
picking up my laptop and delving into my next manuscript. It’s been fun getting to know a whole new set
of characters and tapping into some new and different ideas and
storylines. Not to mention, it’s given
me a few ideas for revisions to the previous manuscript when it gets out of
beta.
Read
a Book
Of course as writers, we should always
be reading. However, take this time to
read something completely frivolous or totally opposite of what you normally
read. After reading a string of dark and
twisted suspense books (“Silence of the Lambs,” “Dark Places,” and “The Dinner”
among them), I’m currently splashing around in “Skinnydipping,” by Bethenny
Frankel. It’s the perfect, frothy little
cocktail for me right now. Next up, I’ll
be reading Andy Cohen’s autobiography, before going all dark again with “The Little
Friend,” by Donna Tart.
Work
on Your Marketing
Update your web site, add to your
Pinterest boards, throw out some pithy tweets, lay out your promotional plan
for the next book. This is a great time
to work on all those marketing activities that fell by the wayside while you
were on manuscript fumes. I just spent
some time working on a complete overhaul of my website and I’ve been having a
ball.
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