So that was a hard day. But to my surprise, it was only a day. Maybe it's because I still have other things on the horizon or because I've been focusing on being thankful and redefining success, but this loss didn't kill me like it would have years ago—maybe even a year ago.
When I lost the Nexon gig last summer, I scrambled to find work, e-mailing everyone I knew and following every thread. And one thing I learned is that like 80% of those threads—even the ones that came with promising words at the start—also fall through, but it doesn't matter so long as one or two of them sticks.
Heck, even my surfeit of work is not a sure thing until I have projects in hand. But that's okay; the whole reason I take on so much is so I don't have to freak out when some of it disintegrates.
So yeah, I'm thinking maybe I don't (yet) have what the Big 5 publishers are looking for (yet), but I have what Broken Eye Books, Scribendi, [redacted game company], and a few other clients are looking for—and I have an amazing family with enough money to feed them for a while yet. So things ain't so bad. I even briefly imagined life without any writing at all, and you know what? It was still a pretty good life.
(Don't worry. I'm still going to write.)
A part of me (a very, very small part) is even glad Sea of Souls dropped, because now I have more time for other projects people do want. And, man, if there's one thing I need, it's more time.
If those fall through, too? Well, I'll figure that out later. Until then, I'll keep enjoying what's in front of me.
That's disappointing news, Adam, but I always appreciate your outlook on celebrating the good things in life and being grateful for them. We can't help but care a lot about our personal projects, when we've spent so much time on them, there's so much of us in them, and they offer so much hope and promise--but we move on. I hope you'll find a home for this one someday, and in the meantime, all we can do is keep on writing, and working, and enjoying time with our family. You are a terrific writer, and obviously lots of other people recognize that. I also consider it a privilege for me to be able to use my talents and work as a writer and editor in any capacity. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eugene. That means a lot!
ReplyDeleteLove your outlook. Thank you for sharing so much.
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