What do Heidi Rice, Scarlet Wilson, Fiona Harper and Iona Grey have in common with one of my favourite films, Four Weddings And A Funeral?
Well, they’ve all provided me with inspiration for this blog! My friends helpfully reminded me that it’s 10 years since I got ‘the call’, and then I thought of that great scene in Four Weddings And A Funeral where Andie MacDowell lists her lovers to an increasingly nervous looking Hugh Grant.
Anyway, I thought of the ten years and imagined that each one is significant…a bit like a relationship with a lover.
Year 1 – THE CALL! You’ve been wooing this lover for a long time, and finally it HAPPENS! Cue fireworks and Angels singing. It really is as amazing as you’ve been told.
Year 2 – The rush of love continues. You’re coasting on the excitement of your first book coming out. You are working on a second book and even though there’s a pesky little voice in your ear - ‘But how did we do it the first time around?’ - you ignore it and hope for the best.
Year 3 – The glow of the honeymoon period hasn’t quite worn off. But now you’ve done your second book and have come through that hellish fear + realization that you do know how to do it and now you have deadlines to contend with and they suddenly loom large.
Year 4 – With about three books under your belt, a kind of quiet cockiness sets in. You’re confident your lover isn’t leaving, just yet. You might even go public – to your first conference – whether it’s the RNA or RWA. Agents and Editors and Publishers, Oh My! Everything is a whirl of talk about Indies or Outies; Self-Pub or Trad-Pub; Paranormal or Inspirational. Lots of new words, workshops and all while trying to figure out what the heck a capsule wardrobe is.
Year 5 – You might build your first official home office now. A little nest for you and your love. But can you work here? Hell no! Why is it that the corner of your bedroom or the corner of the kitchen table still seems to be the only magic spot?
Year 6 – Now you’re a pro at going public. No longer the shy wallflower at conferences, you’re giving workshops and wowing newbie and aspiring authors with your knowledge. Even as you quake quietly in your boots because you still feel like a bit of a fraud and as if someone is going to snatch your latest contract out of your hands and screech, ‘We’ve made a huge mistake!’
Year 8 – You can now look at your lover with a certain smug gleam in your eye. You’re both still here. A little battered and bruised maybe, but more in love than ever….or, wait a second…what’s that you see in the distance….*gasp* a more handsome/interesting lover???
Year 9 – You’ve broken up (or maybe you’re two-timing your lover). But it’s ok…because you weren’t content with the limited repertoire of your old lover, so you’ve taken a younger and more inspiring model who offers all sorts of new, er, positions. Suddenly, you want to try everything…what about self-pubbing a paranormal romance featuring a Werewolf/Fallen Angel/Biker?
Year 10 – As you wait to hear if your newest lover is going to commit, you realize you’ve come full circle and are awaiting ‘The Call’, again. Except, this time you know exactly what’s ahead and are ready to leap into the abyss with both feet. You’ll take a parachute though…just in case your lover steps aside at the last second. You’re not as naïve as you used to be!
