My current project, which has yet to be titled, is Book Two in my Great War Series. It probably seems odd to be talking about a deadline for this book when the first book isn’t even out yet! (Look To The East) But the deadline is June 1st – only a few weeks away.
I’ll be talking more about this book in the future, but once this deadline is met I’ll be turning my attention to – you guessed it – Book Three. And Book One isn’t even out yet!
It’s one of the odd things about the arts. When we’re actually creating whatever project we’re working on, we’re excited about it, eager to share the experience. But by the time everyone else gets to see it, months have gone by. Editing and final preparations take time. Usually when a book reaches the shelves, the writer is already fully involved in another project.
By the time Look To The East actually releases in August, I’ll have to re-read the book before interviews just to reacquaint myself with the characters, their goals and struggles. That’s okay, though, because it’ll still feel fresh whenever I pick it up again. While it’s the creation of a story that, for me, is the most exciting aspect of writing a book—putting those puzzle pieces together for the very first time—that part is easy to revisit. It’s such a thrill to see the pieces fit, especially when everything looks pretty jumbled at the outset. But no matter how much time has gone by from that initial creation to whenever or why ever I find myself picking up a project again, that initial excitement returns. It’s like a scent that’s associated with some special event; a memory is more vivid because of that scent. When I pick up one of my older books, it’s easy to recall how excited I was when a piece of the puzzle fit, often something I wasn’t aware at the outset would happen. An author never forgets those feelings.
It all has to do with the way God wired us, I guess. To be creative and to enjoy it. I wonder how happy God must have been while He created the Heavens and the earth and everything on it!
Now that’s a positive way to start the day, and the week – realizing creativity is one of the ways in which we share God’s image. Something to be grateful for, isn’t it?
Join Me!