Drawing in the Dark

So it’s been quite awhile since I wrote anything that wasn’t my WIP. That book–SWEET–is done now and, following one of Heinlein’s rules, out the door. The book was extraordinarily difficult for me to write, not just because of the subject(s) but also because I’m not convinced that the guy people would want to see as the villain is. In my time in the shrink’s chair, I’ve met a lot of wounded people. When I was younger, new to my practice, and not as confident in my abilities to be helpful, I tended to be rigid and, sometimes, I think, not as helpful as I could’ve been. One of the things you learn as a shrink is that anxiety makes it hard for people to change, which is one of the great Catch-22s of psychiatry, too, because people are coming to see you because they’re already unhappy and anxious. Now you’re asking them to feel WORSE before they feel better. That’s a very hard sell, and patients aren’t the only ones who feel anxious. Shrinks do, too. You want to help, you don’t want bad things to keep happening to basically decent people–and sometimes you–I–might get a little dogmatic and fall back to stereotypes in order to deal with all that angst in the room.

I’m much better now, thanks ;-). But that experience has taught me that there are always multiple stories going on in just about every narrative. Nothing is a straight line, no matter how much you want it to be. That’s what happened with SWEET, and that book took a lot of thinking, emotion and energy. I hope it pays off, of course; it would be great if somebody picked it up because I think it talks about topics and emotions that people are uncomfortable discussing. And, yeah, I put in all this time and effort . . .

A good thing I got it out of the way–and out of my system-though, because I’m just finishing up the edits for my forthcoming book from Carolrhoda. Used to be called STALAG WINTER, but my editor–a real gem and so much fun to work with–and I have been bouncing titles back and forth. At this point, I think it’s a toss-up between THE DRAW and DRAWING IN THE DARK. Not that a vote here matters, but I’m particularly “drawn” to the second one. The title, I think, makes you stop and think. First off, how can you draw without light, illumination? What would come out if you could? Or do I mean “draw” in the sense of pulling in or out–are we talking about teasing out the darkness? And the darkness in what, whom? Or is this about how you fill in the darkness that defines the light?

Or all of those and more?

Anyway, that’s the project for today. Finish that up, send it, tend to my unruly garden (I don’t know about anyone else, but my tomatoes just didn’t cut it this year, which is sort of a pisser because I started a GAZILLION heirlooms from seed, hoping against hope, but it’s been cool, not enough sun to pink up the fruit and then the plants got the blight, so . . . blah.). Then I rev up for a quick three sample chapters of a project I can’t talk about yet, and then I start outlining and then writing my next book, which I’m calling ASHES for now. As my editor has so wisely shown me, THAT will probably change–and for the better.

Currently reading:
Rough Country by John Sandford

Blood Brothers by S.A. Harazin

Lighthouses and Keepers: The U.S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy by Dennis L. Noble

Currently listening to:

Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival by Norman Ollestad