Mountains & Valleys

So I finished "Stolen Moon" and now it's launched.

The climb toward that peak was amazing, adventurous and arduous. But I got there.

The slide down the other side happens so quickly. It's a sheer drop-off, down again to the valley floor where the next book looms before me like an ominous, insurmountable hill.

Early each morning before my "career job" gets going for the day, I get up and trudge to my study (I'm lucky to have one) and plop my butt into this chair ... and I write.

It took a lot of effort just to get to this stage - where I can sit down, open a document, and pick up the thread I left so clearly dangling the last time - instead of staring at a blank screen wondering what I'm supposed to write and fighting to ignore the voice in my head that says, "Brennnnnt ... ! Go back to bedddddd ... !"

So it's with a mix of exciting wonder and excrutiating realization that I begin the next climb.

One step at a time. One morning at a time. One sentence at a time.

The mountain peaks are high and the view from up there is marvellous and nerve-wracking, but in between them are the valleys of despair, depression, meaninglessness and futility.

That's why I always start a new novel as soon as I can - I want out of those valleys!