So there I was in 2014 beaming from ear to ear with my first book
contract. I compare the feeling to being in love. Your heart is racing and all
you can think about is that special someone (in this case the future book).
Unfortunately, once the book releases and the hype dies down, like the flush of
new love, some of the feeling fades. It was a great achievement, but all around
me I saw friends announcing contracts for second, third and fourth books.
I joined in Nanowrimo to write a sequel to my 2014 release. I worked
like a madwoman. On December 2, 2015 I got my second book contract. I was
ecstatic at the thought that I would have two books published. Fast forward to
April of this year. There was the usual hoopla that comes with a book release –
guest blogs, author spotlights, internet radio interviews and more. I was on
cloud nine.
Last week I was cleaning out my file cabinets (I still have 4 metal
file cabinets dating back to my writer beginnings, the 80s. I’m dating myself).
One piece of paper made me stop what I was doing. It was a list of goals titled
“By the time I am 55”. I laughed because
I’m teetering close to that now. I am happy to say that ‘have at least 2 books
published’ had been met. Now I’ve read articles about how the brain will focus
on that one negative thing even if there are five positives. Sure, the other
goals were met. I had opened a separate savings and checking account for
business. I had taken those college classes. But there were still a few goals I
hadn’t attained. And while I should have patted myself on the back for what I
had accomplished so far, I was agitated.
Though I’m sure people in all walks of life find themselves always
looking for the next rung on the ladder, writing in particular lends itself to
a certain discontent. In such a competitive industry, we often obsess over what
comes next. If we have one book published, we need to get that second book
out.
Even after that second book is published, you need to get the third and
fourth book out. If, like me, your books are eBooks only, you might feel pressured
to be in print. Maybe you think it’s time for an agent. . What about movie
rights? I’ve seen several friends negotiating movie rights (Hallmark Channel,
have I got a movie for you J).
No matter where we are in our careers, we often feel like it’s just not enough.
It’s the proverbial hamster wheel. And round and round we go.
It’s easy to obsess over the big picture, easy to forget the little
victories. I’ve learned that the key to discontent is to compare your journey
to someone else’s. I’ve found the key to
my own happiness is to enjoy the journey. Nothing new there, right? But oh how hard it
is to do it. Like many things in life, it’s something you have to choose to do
each and every day. When I feel myself comparing my career to someone else’s
(and we’ve all done it), I take a trip down memory lane. I relive what it felt
like the day I opened that email that said “we would love to publish
this”. And I remember to give myself a
little pat on the back.
Have you celebrated just how much you’ve accomplished already?
A Wife for Humphrey on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/gr8mhle
Christina started writing as a young teen, jotting stories in wire ring composition notebooks. Her first typewriter made it faster to get all those stories out of her head and down on paper. Her love of writing has sustained her through a myriad of jobs that included hairdresser,legal secretary, waitress and door-to-‑door saleswoman.
Luckily for her, writing proved to be successful and a lot less walking than going door to door. "A Husband for Danna" is Christina's first novel. She is busy working on her next. When she isn't writing or reading, she can be found walking her dog, talking to her herd of cats and spending time with her family.
Christina's second book, A Wife for Humphrey, was released on April 28, 2016. Her first Christmas novella, Snow Globe Reunion, will release on September 1, 2016.
To find out about Christina's upcoming releases, visit her website at http://christinalorenzen.com/.
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automatically each month to win a $5 Amazon gift card at http://christinalorenzen.com/connect-with-christina/
