It's funny; most of my "author bio" entries out there contradict one another, with one claiming to be in Richmond, Virginia, another in Memphis, Tennessee, and later on Mobile, Alabama. I'm thinking that now that we're in Topeka, Kansas, I'm'a just not gonna put that location piece anywhere -- well, but here in this post -- and avoid possibly jinxing us again. That said, we are now, finally, happily, settled in Topeka, and I'm already working furiously on finishing both Novel Three (don't have a formal title yet) for the Elf Queen series and Bacon. That'll make seven novels, in total, that I have written.
"Have written" is such a different phrase, psychologically, from "am writing," as nearly every writer can probably confirm. When people at my new place of employment find out that I'm an author, their first question is often how many books I "have written."
Five. That's the answer. I "have written" five novels.
Wow, that's impressive, they always say.
It is. Sort of. Impressive, yes. Prolific, no. I look through this blog and realize that I time-stamped my writing career through it.
Five years.
I've been writing for five years. One novel per year isn't all that impressive coming from some of the more prolific novelists. Now, before anyone starts offering soothing noises or placating comments, let me say that I'm not judging myself (or anyone else) over it. First, there are plenty of great novelists who don't put out a novel per year. Second, I admit that I've been through some less than positive circumstances along the way. I've had some more than positive circumstances, too, to be honest, and those have often hampered my writing efforts as much as the others. But, you know, life happens, whether we wish it to or not, and for us writers it all gets stored for later in that great big plot-device warehouse up in Schenectady.
Regardless, it's been one heck of a ride.
I posted over a year ago that I was back on my feet, that the fam was settled down there on the Alabama Gulf Coast, and that I'd be cheerfully starting my blog posting and other stuff up again.
Didn't happen.
I'd like to think now that I'll reverse that. I've got a great job, and a nice place to live, in an absolutely charming little city, now. Maybe it's time to get serious about all this stuff.
Maybe. No promises, though.
Right now, it's time to get serious about this novel I'm revising. And then, who knows?
Y'all have fun!
- TOSK
