I've come across a problem: when one's all-consuming hobby suddenly becomes one's all-consuming career, you're stuffed when it comes to your free time.
OK, so that sounds a bit OTT, but there's a lot of truth in it. I used to have other hobbies (climbing, shooting, playing the drums, gym) but they've fallen by the way side due to time (climbing), cost (shooting), practicality (drums) and losing interest (gym). Through the loss of all those, writing was always there. I couldn't leave it alone. Sometimes I'd find myself doing it without really understanding how I'd ended up sitting down with the idea in the first place, half-empty beer can at my side, TV fizzing in the background.
Trouble is, writing's now what I do most rather than some of the time. I'm no longer thinking about the what-ifs and dreaming. I'm now panicking about the oh-no's and worrying. But with this huge life change, comes a hole: I Have No Hobbies.
None.
Not one.
Nothing.
Not a jot.
I've been trying to come up with something I could do. Something that's affordable, fun, interesting, something fun to natter about down the pub... and I'm coming up blank. I can't do kite surfing (cost, time, effort). I can't do carpentry (same list, plus space). Most worryingly of all, though, I'm not really sure what interests me now. It's like my brain's been so focussed for so long that it can't think of anything else. And I'm at a loss.
So, if anyone's got any suggestions...
Anyway, best get back to the writing; haven't got time to hang around blogging when there's proofs to be checked, books to write, proposals to sort...
Viewpoint
3 years ago
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never been a full-time writer - but as a half-time one in a niche market I remember having a similar problem.
ReplyDeletei've found the answer now, though - retire - and in six months, eight days, twelve hours and fifteen minutes I'll tell you how it feels . . . ;-)
Seriously, though - if you can find a hobby you can write about for money, that feels better you can turn the cost factor into a healthy profit in my experience
Hi Could you tell me why your books have been published as paperbacks when a lot of other books in the same genre get a hardback release first? Is it just a publisher thing?
ReplyDeleteThanks
Re. HB, I don't know of many that go straight to that on first release. Darren Shan's are HB because he's so massive in the genre. These are the first out by me, I'm not that established. Yet.
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