If you’ve never read it, All Star Superman is a tremendous achievement. I’ve talked before about stories of characters facing their own mortality, and I’m kicking myself for leaving All Star off the list. It really captures everything Superman is, what he represents, and what makes him a hero beyond the powers.
It’s about Superman’s slow, but inevitable march to death and his trying to do everything he can to die at peace. It’s been on my mind this week because I’m facing a countdown of my own. It’s nothing so dramatic as death, but it is a big turning of a page for me.
I’m starting a new job at the beginning of April.
I’ve been unemployed for two and a half months now. In that time I’ve managed to stay productive. This blog, PopLurker, friends and more- I don’t have any regrets about how I spent my time between jobs. Certainly, there’ve been some bumps and disappointments, but I hold my head high, learn, and grow.
I have 7 days before I’ll be getting on a plane to fly to NY for training, and then the following Friday will be my first day going into my new office up on Miracle Mile. I’ll have a significantly longer commute to contend with (even when I move later this year, it’ll only reduce the commute, not eliminate it).
My old job was a 15 minute drive away. That gave me plenty of time on evenings to walk my dog, relax a bit, fit some writing in, then some reading and whatever else. This new commute is going to take a bigger bite out of my evenings. I don’t know what that schedule will truly look like (thankfully the new office is very flexible on hours), or what my energy will be like after a day where I’m spending quadruple the time as before in my car.
Right now, I know what I should tell myself: it matters to you, set a new writing routine and get it done. But that isn’t doing anything right now. To be honest, one thing I’ve learned these past couple months is that I’m good at writing, but I’m not a good writer. So, unless I get the idea that just needs to be written, I’ll probably be doing more knitting (I really need to step my game up on that).
It’s entirely probable I’ll get hit with that idea- not guaranteed, but probable based on history. But I don’t have that idea yet, so I’m looking at this week I have left very differently. There are a handful of home projects I need to tie up, and some stuff with friends and other people I’m close with, but the two big things I want to complete:
I need to finish proofreading and publish Drawful the Awful. It’ll be available on Kindle and in Paperback on March 30, and I’ll be sure to post the links here.
I need to finish The Book of Resurrection, I’ve got the bulk of the story drafted. It’s a mess, but it’s still 75,000 words I’ve put on the table, can’t fold on it now.
If I can get through those two and that list, then I’ll move into the new phase and job with greater peace of mind. Three books self-published, a 4th drafted during the course of my employment break… It feels tidier to me, a proper ending here at this threshold so that whatever comes next can have a cleaner beginning.
Let’s go.
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