I’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE.
No. Not the rented room in a mate’s gaff in Dublin for an indeterminable period.
Not the unemployment line.
I’m talking specifically about the ol’ creative endeavours. Picking up that pen again and channelling characters that I keep locked up in my head.
I’ve recognised after a few years of stop/start writing of novels that I go through spurts of high activity followed by lulls where I drop off the blog and writing radar. This quiet period is a time to let the juices percolate and bubble until I’m ready to pour it onto a page.
The sequel to SIGIL is in the bag. At least, the first draft is complete.
Fr Tom Regan is back in action. This time on the other side of the world.
In a small town on the border of the Amazon rainforest, a series of accidental deaths rock the community. The victims, backpackers on the gringo trail, all share the experience of having recently taken the hallucinogenic medicine, Yage.
Fr Tom Regan is in Peru for missionary work. His niece, Louise, is backpacking through the country. Their paths are on course to meet. That is, until she suddenly disappears.
Investigating further, Fr Regan discovers the deaths were anything but accidental, and uncovers a disturbing pattern – one which plunges his niece into grave danger. In a race against time, Regan has to piece together the clues before the jungle claims another victim.
I draw heavily on my own time in Peru, specifically my life-changing experience taking yage (AKA ayahuasca).
Truth is, I gotta get me a job to pay for an editor. I have no interest in releasing something that isn’t the best possible version of the story. That ain’t cheap. An example of the day job supporting the passion.
Looking at late Summer release date, all being well.
Just gotta loop back. Trust the process. Work myself out of this little funky period. Short stories are the Pacman pellets that’ll lead me to the next level until I narrow in the next novel idea.
Time to take it up a notch.
Slumber time over.
I definitely feel you on the in and outs of being in “the writing mode.” I go through long periods as well. Its mainly due to free time. I’m young so I’ve been in school. When I was in school I could never focus on my own projects but during summer and winter break I could crank out project’s with ease.
Good luck on the day job search. I hope you find one that gives you plenty of free time to write.
Thanks Laughon. Look forward to competing with you on the NYT Bestseller list in years to come 😉
I may be too old to appreciate the new book, but a sequel written by you? If I can handle the wild dreams in Pathfinder and learn to use lucid dreaming for my own nightmares to change them into good dreams, I would probably enjoy reading the results of your own experimentation Be careful, Hon!) and imagination. I will buy the book like I did Pathfinder and Sigil. Looking forward…
Thanks Rae. Worryingly a Priest has featured heavily in 3 of my 4 novels. I think I might blow your mind with the next project. I’ll drag you kicking and screaming if I have to! 😉
I’ll try anything (reading-wise) once!
Oh wow. Having just looked that up, I can tell it’s deffo not for me. Of course, I’m in my sixties and my days of experimentation are far behind me.
Closest I ever came was being acquainted with some folks who did psilocybe (magic mushrooms) and even with someone with them to help “talk them down,” at least one of them had a pretty harrowing experience.
Of course, in your case, the experience will make for authenticity in your novel.
Not for the faint of heart James, that’s for sure! Not sure I’d do it again. Open that ‘door’ to the other side and there’s no knowing what’ll step through. Great to hear from you again.
Glad you’ve got the sequel well in hand. Now for that pesky day job. 😉