Two To Go

The last time I wrote a rambling was back in August, I talked about how I’d sent Memories of a Murder out to six different agents – three of whom rejected it with astonishing speed.

I talked about what I might do if none of them liked it, and that I wasn’t so sure. The immediate answer, the obvious answer perhaps, was to not give up. To keep trying.

But here’s why that’s maybe not the obvious answer. In the time between that post and this, I’ve read five wonderful books, reviewed six of them, started a seventh and… I’ve worked.

Jeepers have I worked. It’s that time of year for me where work goes from working-an-hour-late-busy to weeping-in-the-corner busy. And my assistant has left me.

Woe. Is. Me.

But also in that time, my lodger has moved out and got his own place. I’ve had time in abundance to ‘do writing’ something which I never had before. What did I do with that time?

Naturally, I finished watching my Cheers box-set. Never like to leave a project unfinished.

Then I started watching Frasier from the beginning. Also, catching up on Revenge which has been sitting my Sky box since January.

I’ve logged on and read emails. I’ve bought some lovely new jars for my kitchen.

I’ve gone out for drinks and dinners. I’ve made three lasagnas – from scratch (well, the cow was already minced, but more or less).

I’ve not done writing. And for one very simple reason. I’m just not wired to.

I’m not a brilliant multi-tasker (I am a man after all), my head can deal with one project at a time. Even if one of those projects has stalled, I have to see it through before I can move on to the next one.

Take my kitchen. Well, don’t, I only just had it put in, but two years ago, I decided that the flat needed redoing from left to right (top to bottom, doesn’t seem like the right phrase when it’s only one floor).

Bit by bit, one room at a time, I’ve been doing it and in March/April time I decided on my new kitchen. In my head, on my list of things to do, was do the kitchen, then repaint my bedroom.

The kitchen wasn’t installed until July, but in the three months preceding that I couldn’t paint my bedroom, even though neither was dependent on the other, simply because I had not crossed ‘new kitchen’ off my list.

I’m methodical. Step A leads to Step B leads to Step C. I can’t go from A to C without having fully finished B.

The problem is, the writing I’ve been focused on is the sequel to Memories of a Murder. I’ve only heard back now, from four of the six agents I contacted.

How can I possibly start writing more on that world when I haven’t heard back from all those people that I sent a request for a rejection to?

What I can do, though, is figure out what I’m going to do next. Keep trying isn’t the option for me – at this time – it stalls me too much.

But I can start a new project while this one’s bubbling under… watch this space.

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