Seven Months

/ Jeff Cann

Seven months ago, I dropped out of your life. Did you notice? I did. I ended my thirteen-year streak of blogging at least monthly. And truthfully, I blogged more like four to eight posts per month during those years. I doubt I ever wrote less than three. Maybe only a year ago, in an online conversation with another blogger, I wrote ‘I can’t imagine a circumstance where I would quit blogging.’ And then a few months later, I did just that.

Maybe I should have written ‘I can’t imagine a circumstance where I would quit writing,’ because even though I’ve blogged only one post since September, I’ve written almost every day. I’m beyond excited to announce that I’ve completed my first novel. I wrote a supernatural thriller that might wind up being called Tangled Lineage. It’s not even done, but the first draft is complete, and because I can’t help myself from editing heavily as I write, the result is a relatively tight story without any plot holes that I’ve been able to find. It reads like a book. Beta copies are out to readers, and I’m anxiously awaiting feedback.

Of course, I check my email every fifteen minutes hoping for a message that reads “OMG, this is great!” Or “Gonna be a best seller!” Or “It’s a page turner, for sure!” Or even “Huh, not bad.” But I only sent it out yesterday, so even I know I’m being ridiculous without my wife telling me.

And to some degree, I’m not sure I even care. This is something I never knew I could do. I made up a wholly unique story and created a group of characters who I now dream about. My mantra has always been, No, I’m not a novelist. So far in my writing career, I haven’t even been able to come up with a short story plot without cribbing ninety percent of it directly from my life. Where I am right now is completely unexpected.

Am I back as a blogger? No idea. In a week or two, I’ll get several emails with LOTS of recommendations for changes to my book. That might take another seven months to click through. But I want to write, so in the meantime, at least tonight, I’m a blogger. It’s nice to be back.

This fun but meaningless photo is by Joao Ricardo Januzzi.

30 thoughts on “Seven Months”

  5. Good idea.
    Thanks – I noticed your visit.
    I also read one of your reflections on writing recently, which spurred a bit more experimentation and it made me wonder about ‘my’ ‘target audience’. No idea really!
    Be well and do good.
    DD

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Huh, was I able to identify a target audience for myself? The other night in my writer’s workshop, I read a poem about one hit wonder bands and everyone just stared at me like I was some kind of idiot. I really don’t gel with most of that group.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  7. Congratulations! And now I’m jealous, you finished your first draft before I finished the two I’m working on and I am a novelist 😆 My silliness aside, good seeing you peek your head in and great hearing about your (hopefully) new undertaking (novel writing). I hope we’ll hear more soon.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. THERE you are! Excellent news, congratulations!

    There’s a little spiel I have that I’ve trotted out to two or three people who have written a book for the first time and are anxiously awaiting feedback. I expect most of it will be familiar to you already, but it goes like this:

    A HUGE number of people would like to write a book.

    A very large number of people START to write a book.

    Quite a lot of people get a long way with the book they’re writing.

    Some people manage to complete the book they were writing.

    A small number of those do something with it after writing, like send it to friends or find an agent.

    To reach this last point, whatever you choose to do next, means you have become part of a very, very small percentage of writers, let alone the actual population. Just to reach this point is a PHENOMENAL achievement. So many people don’t know this, don’t appreciate this. I really enjoy your posts, because you write beautifully. I’m not surprised you made it this far, because you have experience in perseverance. I’m looking forward to seeing your book! And Sci-Fi? YES! YES!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks so much Damian. Not sci-fi though. More magical/witchy. Not sure why I came up with a witch plot but since I started writing, I’ve noticed that every third new book seems to be about witchcraft.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. Well done, Jeff. I will buy it and am looking forward to it.

    When the characters are engaging and if the plot allows (like you haven’t killed them off) maybe a sequeal? Now you’ve got the hang of it, and as the best fantasy seem to be at least trilogies, what about creating another story line. As a later life avid reader of supernatural, Sci-fi, and fantasy, I am always saddened when a good book ends and I miss the characters. Once you develop a set, or sets, of characters you will find a story automatically follows because that’s the natural route for an imaginative, inquisitive mind. You are a born writer/story teller, Jeff, and definitely have ‘more than one good book.’

    Time is an illusion but it is speeding up here on planet Earth and that seven months seemed to flash by. You create your own reality and have all the time in the world.

    Best wishes Margaret P.s. I didn’t ‘get’ the photo but love the guy’s name. It immediately inspired a vision of what he might look like!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Not sure this story lends itself to a sequel, but maybe a prequel. And you’re right. 7 months did flash by. In fact when I counted up the months, I counted a second time because I thought ‘that can’t be right.’ Thank you for your kind words.

      Like

      Reply

  15. Same thing happened to me. The writing = dropping off the blogosphere. I have yet to return despite the fact that I am paying for my website. (Turns out I’m not that cheap. I pay just so it exists. Much like a gym membership but an intellectual one.)

    I am still at the beginning of my novel, because I wrote up to 30 chapters and headed in the wrong direction so early that I had to go back and rewrite it from nearly scratch. Have you done that? Oh my every loving muse, it is annoying trying to cut and paste what I can keep while trying to spackle a new direction in place. I’m sure there is a medical analogy I could butcher about trying to plug all the wounds of a machete fight between jugglers, but let’s leave that alone.

    Love what you write. That’s my motto. Even if you have to throw most of it away, it’s more than most people ever manage. Take pride. Take well-meant recommendations. Ignore ignorant baboons who just criticize thinking that is helpful. Just write!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I’m not sure I could recover from writing half a novel and then needing to scrap it. I’ve quite pleased with what I’ve written. Now I need to see what others think about it. I mean, can you believe it, It’s been three days and NO ONE has given me feedback. Don’t they know I can’t sleep? 😂

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment