“So, Mr. Mast, you’ve just finished a rough draft for your next award-winning and record-breaking novel. What are you going to do now?”
“Oh, I think I’m going to go to my cabin in the woods, sit in front of the fire, and have a nervous breakdown.”
“Sounds fantastic! After the break, we’ll show you a story about how geese aren’t really the spawn of Satan, contrary to popular belief!”
So there were no news articles about the finishing of a rough draft. No one stormed my front door demanding signatures on the various anthologies I’ve been in. Though there’s some advancement on my upcoming novel (available March 1!), no one’s interviewing me.
What now?
Well, in the last week… honestly, not much on the writing front. There are some projects I’ve advanced. I’ve gone back to check on the short stories I have out at various markets to find out if I should send out a query if it’s been too long since a response (and indeed some queries were sent). But mostly I’ve just been reading.
After a month of pouring out words and words and words, it’s time to absorb some words. I finished one novel, devoured the entirety of another, and now have started a third. I’m also sleeping more. I’m exhausted from a number of sources, though the novel rough draft certainly is one of those. Haven’t you heard? Writing is work, and that means taking time to rest from it is to be expected!
So when will I get back to writing?
Well, I’ve got this idea for a fantasy in an old-west setting. It would be a short story, likely something I could draft and polish in a week or two. I think I’ll tackle that starting tomorrow or the day after.
In other words, yes, I’ve taken a little bit of time away from “just writing,” though I’ve still been pursuing plenty of writing-adjacent activities. But it’s time to get back to it.
Writers write. It’s what we do. Even when we step away for a bit, we come back to it.
I hope y’all are having a great week, and if you’ve stepped away from writing for a bit, you’re ready to get back to it!
Jonathon Mast: Author 