Q: Do you think a regular writing hiatus would be good for you? (no writing/ reading/ reviewing/marketing etc.) How long would you like to take and what would you do during it?)
- from Susan
A: No! In fact, I just did it, not so much by design as by the necessity when you’re traveling and doing tourist-y things all day, and I am currently trying to get my mojo back. A couple of distractions:
Maybe if I had written 8, 10, 15 books in a series, a hiatus might be good to refresh my brain and make sure the next one wouldn’t be merely a rehash. But I’m nowhere near productive enough, popular enough, or successful enough to deserve a vacation from writing. Not only that, but writing can be its own vacation, or at least a soul-nourishing, exciting, energizing activity when it’s going well. When that happens, the last thing I want is to close the laptop and go out to ski or hike, or shop on Portobello Road.
As to marketing, taking a vacation from it is dangerous these days. I’m thrilled that I was offered (and instantly accepted) a handful of event and blog opportunities while I was in England and that will help me stay somewhat visible with the new French village book that came out only on May 1. It garnered some good professional reviews, some nice out-the-gate publicity, but now I have to get out there and give it a push.
COMMERCIAL BREAK:
DRESSED FOR DEATH IN BURGUNDY is out in hardcover, e-book, and audio book formats now! LOVE & DEATH IN BURGUNDY is now available at a reduced price on Amazon and is also an e-book and an audio book!
Kirkus: “: "A comedy of errors full of amusing characters, a fine feeling for life in small-town France, and a suitably twisty mystery."
So, as you see, a hiatus isn’t what I need or relish so much as inspiration, motivation, book sales (please) and the collegial support of my writer friends.
6 comments:
Susan, I'm reading Dressed for Success in Burgundy right now. It's wonderful!
Will get the audio book. I have it on ebook but will get to it faster with audio. Looks like a great trip - jealous!
I think you're right, Susan, a hiatus can be more about distraction than inspiration. Although, I'd be up for a trip to Burgundy anytime.
Haren, Thank you for letting me know! I'm so glad you're enjoying it.
RM, I think this voice actor nailed the reading - she does the characters and the accented language so well. I'm enjoying it myself.
Dietrich, As long as you can figure out a way to be researching something, a trip that might otherwise look like a hiatus can actually be quite productive. Wine tasting, perhaps? ;-)
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