Saturday, October 3, 2015

I feel fortunate and happy to have a job

I'm busy writing my book.  If I didn't have a contract binding me to a delivery date in the near future, I would not be working this hard.  I feel fortunate and happy to have a job to do and realize that my happiness is based on purposeful work. I like to work.   Happiness, by the way, is a quiet thing.  Happiness is like an agreeable companion who links arms and walks with you and let's you lead the conversation.

 I have no concept of what "working hard" means for a writer.  People who jackhammer concrete in 90 degree heat work hard.  Window cleaners in high rise buildings who dangle over the abyss while they swipe a squeegee over glass work hard.  School teachers who teach teenagers work hard. 

Sometimes the characters in this book speak up and tell me how they want to proceed.  Sometimes minor characters show me how they can be used to move the story along.  I am continually amazed at the process because it defies explanation and sounds false.  It is not false.  This is my seventh book and the writing experience is very different.  I'm trusting it but I'm not sure I should trust it completely.

I'm posting today because my book, Three Daughters, is part of an Amazon promotion for the month of October.  You can buy all 722 pages of the Kindle edition for 1.99.  It's going to be on sale in the UK, too, beginning Oct. 9th.