Well, I am back.
I never seriously contemplated abandoning my blog, although I admit there were times I felt tempted. And although I regularly visited my Facebook account, I didn’t post anything to my author page and only really visited to stay in contact with some people.
My sharp-eyed viewer will notice a couple of new pages on this blog. There is now a page with links to all the short stories I have published, to make it easier to locate them should you wish to read or re-read them.
There is also a page of links to all the poems published on here – I had no idea there were so many!
You’re welcome.
There was a lot going on in my life and I needed a lot of space to just try and sort some of it out. Some of it is still on-going, but I think I’m in a position to come back and give a reasonable amount of time to blogging.
But, as well as doing life, I have been busy writing. Probably the main thing I have managed to do is take my stop-start novel set in a fictitious hill station in Northern India from around 35,000 words up to the point where it is an almost completed first draft of just over 70,000 words. And I have a working title for it: A Good Place.
I’ve half-written a few blog posts, although I had intended to prepare lots more. Oh well. For the moment I will go back to posting roughly twice a week and see how that goes.
And I’ve faffed around a bit with a short story. All in all, other than the novel, not a lot. But I am pleased with the novel so far. I sorted out the sub-plots and brought in a number of new characters. And it is finally at the point where I can allow myself to think ‘Yes, almost there!’
And I don’t think until now I’d really understood how absolutely driven it was possible to be when writing; how the Work In Progress can come to utterly dominate your waking life – incessantly thinking about it and tweaking and refining the plots and characters, almost to the exclusion of all else.
Clearly, I need to get it finished.
Welcome back, Mick. You’ve been busy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Frank. Busier than I wanted to be, all in all, but generally it’s good!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s the way!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hurrah hurrah! You’re back! You have been missed. I’m so pleased you have made such excellent progress with your book – I completely understand that all-encompassing drive and obsession when a book really starts to come together. It’s an amazing feeling. So chuffed for you, dear chap. Obviously, this calls for a glass of red later on, in your honour.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Lucy. Indeed, a glass of that claret you mentioned sounds a splendid idea. I actually have a bottle of something good put by for the point where I feel the first draft is actually complete.
Good to be back, too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good plan – a completed draft is one of the finest things to celebrate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely, Lucy. Next only to the published work itself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to see you again Mick. You were missed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Rupali. Good to be back.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to see you back Mick.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Colin.
LikeLike
Welcome back, Mick.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Miriam.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome, Mick.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Welcome back! A break is healthy and it sounds like yours was productive!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Meg. Fairly productive, although I wish the ‘stuff’ would go away!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right! Life is never without its complications. Wishing you well and an end to that stuff!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Meg. Go away, stuff!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve been productive.
When my wip takes the lead, i can be sitting in the middle of a noisy living room filled with shouting kids and talking adults and i’d hear nothing but the voices in my head. my family has complained more than once.
It’s good to see you back. welcome.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ah, the voices in the head. You can take something for those, I believe.
But, thanks Jina. Glad to be back!
LikeLiked by 1 person
haha, if i tell someone i hear voices, they’ll be bundling me into a white jacket with funny arms.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, I wouldn’t mention the voices…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent one
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Siddhartha.
LikeLike
Glad to see you back, Mick. Would love to read a few excerpts from the WIP.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Greg. Once it’s got a little nearer respectability, perhaps!
LikeLike
And…is the new picture a South Park Stan?
LikeLike
It is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looking forward to the next novel. And yes, it’s horrific just how consuming the WIP can be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It won’t let go!
LikeLike
It brought a smile to my face to see you pop up in my in-box, Mick. Looking forward to hearing more about your very productive hiatus and reading your words. Welcome back.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Donna. That is so nice to hear! Lots of words on their way!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was away for quite a while, too.
Welcome back and once you finish working on your book and get it published, please let me know… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Maniparna. I will do that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
Welcome back Mick. Although it doesn’t sound like you’ve really had a break as you have been so busy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely not a leisurely one, no. Thanks, Jonno.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Take your time and get back into it slowly Mick.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Welcome back Mick, and cheers! I wish you the best of luck with the end of the story, I can imagine how hard it can get to tie up all loose ends! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Himanshu. Even finding the loose ends is difficult…
LikeLike
Welcome back, Mike. This was an interesting and timely post for me as I’m starting to rethink the time I put into blogging. Life changes and other options and priorities pop up. It’s always encouraging to me to see other authors taking time off to follow their muses or enjoy a different part of life. Lots to think about. Happy Writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Diana. It’s that work / life balance thing, again. Squaring the circle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice to see you pop up in the reader again, Mick. Are you back to blogging to allow editing ideas on your WIP time to percolate?
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, I’d given myself roughly three months to sort some stuff out, and the 1st August seemed a good time to break my fast. I was also beginning to feel if I didn’t come back now, I might start putting it off indefinitely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wishing you all the very best
Shiva
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Shiva
LikeLike
Welcome back, Mick! I look forward to reading more of your work, and glad to know that you’ve been busy with writing while you were taking a break from blogging.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Ann. I’ll see what I can do!
LikeLiked by 1 person