funk

The writing life comes with severe mood swings. It's something I've struggled with ever since I sold the book. Something cool will happen, like the sale or a favorable response from the editor, and I'll be sky high for a while. Then normal life kicks in and, by contrast, it begins to feel an awful lot like depression. Worse, bona fide bummers happen now and then, and I'm sent reeling.

I think I've always experienced this, it's just always been on a much shorter cycle. Like, when I was working for the Pitch, I always had ups and downs. I'd have a breakthrough on one story, or I'd get a bunch of response on another, and I'd be all high. Then I'd have days and weeks when it seemed like I was just treading water, and I'd get pretty bummed. Difference is, it didn't last long. There, I was riding a high frequency wave, and now I'm trudging down a low, long one.

But there is relief. Today I was feeling like cold putty. I decided to go for a run. While on the run, I put together a few more pieces of a big idea I've been working on since last week. When I got home I had a phone conversation with a key source regarding this idea, and I set up a meeting for tomorrow. Then I e-mailed the idea to Agent Lydia and she replied:

Joe, NOW you're thinking along the right lines. My immediate reaction is great, really like this idea, and think you're the guy to do it.

No need to be in a funk--you have the goods, and you're coming up with great ideas. Do you want to talk about this, or to you want to start working up a proposal? I think this is it.

So the trick now is not to get too high.