The words will wait.

This is my first post of the year.

2013 is when I hope to release my first major e-book. I have been working for the last three years on a short novel or novella which I am calling 'Children of the Storm.' It has been a frustration time in which I have struggled to progress beyond the first draft. Life got in the way. I had hoped to publish the completed work in the autumn of 2011. My mother became unwell and my plans, quite rightly, were put on one side.

2012 came and went. Still no progress. My mother recovered towards the end of last year. Life re-started.

The time that the manuscript has spent on the shelf has been useful. I have re-discovered the characters that drive the story forward. I have adapted to new methods of creating outlines and I have developed the back story for the fantasy universe in which the book will be placed.

I am a firm believer that nothing in life is wasted. Writers need to draw on many different kinds of experiences to develop compelling stories. The struggle of 2012 will lead, I hope, to a productive and successful 2013.

My advice to anyone torn between the pressure to complete their life's work and the enviable demand of life outside of fiction is to be realistic. Writing is fantastic lifestyle. It is rewarding on a spiritual level. There are, however, more important considerations that sometimes arise. I speak from experience. Look after your health and the ones you love. The words will wait.

So have a happy and rewarding new year. If you are planning to publish this year then I wish you the best of luck. My words have waited for me for a long time but now I am giving them the attention they deserve.

Until next time.