THE GOOD: On Friday afternoon, I had the most incredible experience of speaking to over 200 6th and 8th graders at a local school environment. And while I had little idea of what it would be like, the short time I spent with each class was beyond my wildest imagination and so…much…fun! I loved their willingness to listen and excitement to learn about my personal take on reading and writing. Of course, there were some looks of ho-hum and when does the bell ring, but the vast majority of these kids gave me the wonderful gift of sincere attention and thoughtful questions. Little did I know when I walked in there with the hope of inspiring creativity and sparking interest in the marvelous world of books would I walk out with the feeling that they inspired me and gave me much-needed motivation to continue this difficult journey!
Now onto THE BAD: I had a book signing this past weekend at one of the most fantastic gift shops. It’s nestled in a glorious location, and I felt an immense privilege to be given the opportunity to broaden my audience. Yet after the allotted time, I was sadly disappointed to have only a few people with whom to discuss books – mine and others. However, I don’t lament the time spent preparing for this event nor the hours in the shop. For you see, while I understood how great a long line of people waiting for me to sign a book would be, I never grasped how important a low turnout could be as well. I do believe I learned even more from this stint than if it had been well-attended. And I must admit, I prefer to have the first one be a “walk” around the bases rather than be tricked into thinking every time will be a home run. I now know what to do and how to do it better. My only hope is that I get another chance to put those ideas into place.
As for THE UGLY: There really isn’t anything ugly about the weekend, it was, in effect, exhilarating and fun! However, back to blood thieves….my body was so tired this morning, as is typical of a Monday, but I was shocked to find my mind was flat-out fatigued. My grandiose thoughts of taking a break from the rigors of marketing Still Life and giving 100% to editing the new work failed to materialize. I had zero…zip…nada motivation. I needed this day to blog, unpack, do laundry, play with my son, complete paperwork…and relax.
The ups and downs of this roller-coaster ride of self-publishing never seem to stop. And lean in close because I’ll let you know a little secret….I truthfully like it. I mean, seriously, without the good, the bad, and the ugly, I’d never really get to fully appreciate the undeniably beautiful parts that might come my way.
