It’s getting colder outside, and this has caused Cameron to reflect on some things about writing and revisiting his relationship to writing. Hopefully, it will inspire you to do some writing!
Hello SOOP Authors!
I’ve been thinking about many things lately, but I’ve been mostly thinking about writing. It’s just because I had to write my monthly message, but also because I’ve been trying to write more of late. Things here at SOOP have been busy and often, I don’t get much time to write, especially as I have written 5 books and published 4 since 2019. It’s been a tremendous pace (although not as fast as others) and that has left the creative well a little dry. Recently, I’ve been looking at some of my work, and I’ve realized that some of my older projects have some issues. My writing voice has changed a lot since I worked on some of these! I’m also looking for different things now. I’m looking for richer descriptions. I’m also looking for expansive world creation.
However, that also makes it hard to get back into some of these projects. Some part of it is overwhelming amid limited time, but also the fact that I have changed. I also feel strongly that maybe now is not the time to write new books or jump into a new project. After having just published another book (America’s Lost Generation! Out now!) It might be time to take a break. There’s always a hangover getting a project out in the world, especially after dealing with the final details and doing the marketing and appearances required to promote the book, too. Once that is all done, there’s a bit of exhaustion, and you’re just sort of “over it.” I’m impressed by those creatives who dive right back into writing after a book coming out. I thought I was one of them, but that may not be the best rhythm for me. And that’s what got me thinking about Winter (a great time to write!)
I really enjoying the passing seasons of the year. When I lived on a working farm, it was a delight to watch the crops get planted, fertilized, come up, be harvested, and watching the field lay fallow over the winter ready for the next year. I love city-living, but I do miss that aspect of rural life. It is a visual reminder of the shifting of the year as the Earth makes its way around the Sun. I feel like my writing life goes through something similar. Right now, it is winter. The fields are laying fallow, ready for next year’s planting.
What season is your writing in? Are you in Spring, just getting started and preparing for the harvest? Are you ready to harvest your work? Or are you laying fallow, ready for the renewal of spring? After 6 years, 5 books, and 1 MFA, I think I deserve a period of being fallow. Even though I’m in the summer of my life, even in the summer, we have a chilly day or a rainy day that keeps us inside and we wait for the next day when it sunny again and we can go outside. My message this holiday season is simple: think about where you are with your writing and what season you are experiencing right now. Move (and write!) in accordance with that season.
Happy Christmas everyone!
Cameron Lee Cowan
VP of Brand and Creative, SOOPMedia
Before you go….don’t forget to check our Holiday Bundles. We have put together the best of SOOP for you to check-out. We have great anthologies, fiction and more, so give these a look. Grab a bundle and keep a book for yourself and share the rest!
What a year! Thanks for the pause and reflection :) Ho Ho Ho to all.