In which April is going to be like that, apparently
Dahlia Adler was all “Hey, I have a book out next month”, and then I was all “Oh! I also a book out next month!”, and then I remembered I have a theoretical newsletter.
In my defence, I am in full drafting mode right now, and will be for the next few weeks, so the fact that I remember anything at all is kind of impressive. I also have a lot of mental health assignments from my doctor (I am extremely grateful to have a doctor who takes the time to figure out how to make me do stuff), so there’s that. And I can’t play Veilguard until I meet my deadline so I am just sitting here, doing my job and not romancing Bellara.
ANYWAY!
My drafting mode has changed a lot over the last few years. Mental health, pandemic lockdown, and my general workload have changed how I approach this part of my job. Gone are the days when I would go to The Woods for a week and emerge with a completed draft. And I am mostly okay that (the recovery time sucked and it was a literal manic episode). Now I have a much more balanced approach, and this means I can do other stuff while I’m drafting, as long as the stuff doesn’t take over my personality.
I still don’t have a “day in the life” routine for drafting. Every day is a bit different, and I fought really hard to be able to be flexible, so I take that as a win. But I do have an...approach, I guess???, that I have developed. It helps me write, recharge, and remember to eat vegetables. So here is a list of Things I Do While Drafting.
What I am reading!
I don’t tend to read a lot of novels when I am drafting. I have Sunrise on the Reaping sitting across from my desk, where I can gaze at it longingly, but I won’t read it until I am done the draft. But I do read! I read fanfiction. I mean, I read fanfiction anyway, but when I’m drafting, I re-read my comfort fic. This is important for two reason: first, it is actually relaxing, and second, it reminds me that even though this is my job now, I started writing for fun, and I want to hang on to that joy.
What I am listening to!
Most of my books have playlists, and I listen to them in my downtime between chapters. The book I am currently working on doesn’t have a playlist (which is weird!). It does have a few songs (it was inspired by 50 Mission Cap by the Tragically Hip, and obviously The Good Old Hockey Game), but none of them are really part of the book the way my playlists are. I still like listening to music to get in the zone, though, and this time it’s Girlfriend, by Avril Lavigne.
When I am physically writing the book, I go back to the Battlestar Galactica soundtracks. I’ve been doing that since 2009, and it just keeps working! I still hope that someday, academics will get into bar fights arguing over which chapters I wrote during Prelude to War. It’s important to have dreams.
What I am watching!
As with books, I don’t watch new things while I’m drafting. I actually struggle with watching news things at all, which is really annoying because I want to, but that’s a separate problem that has more to do with fidgeting brain weasels than drafting brain weasels. So I re-watch things. My go to is always David Attenborough, but his series keep disappearing from my streaming services, and while I have several of them on DVD, it’s not the same. This time around, it’s Leverage, which is both comforting AND extremely dated (but, like, in the good way?).
What I am stitching!
One of the questions on a standard ADHD screening test is “do you have trouble sitting still?”, and my answer is “Of course not! Mrs. [First Grade Teacher] put the fear of god in m—oh, wait. I do have a problem sitting still, yes.” This is why is sit on my hands during panels (or at least keep them below the table), why my run up songs to Zoom calls are all dance-y (for emotional regulation), and also why cross stitch is a great hobby for me.
I can do it while I’m watching TV (see above re: fidgeting brain weasels) or listening to an audiobook. I didn’t do any cross stitch between November and February because I was playing Veilguard *mumble number* times, but since I started drafting, I have completed a couple of projects.
And because I can’t stay away, I am also working on a Veilguard cross stitch. I had to construct it from a knitting pattern, so I don’t know if it’s going to turn out (which is always something you love to think about before you sink 40 hours into a project), but I like the colours.
And that’s what my life looks like in drafting mode! Well, there’s also extensive use of sticky notes so that I remember to cook dinner and a not insignificant amount of stress baking. And I haven’t been great at going to the gym, because I like writing two chapters before 2pm, and I don’t get home from the gym until 10:30, which means it’s almost 11 when I get to my desk. But we’re working it out! And getting the job done, which is important.
I don’t know if any of you will find my approach useful with your own writing (if you’re looking for that sort of thing), but I think the main thing to remember is how much my process has changed. It’s been a decade and a half since I started doing this seriously, and a lot of things about me, my life, my brain, and my job are different. It would be weirder if my process was the same. Change is scary (as I have talked about previously), but if you’re going to write long-term, it’s important to mix it up.
So here I am, procrastinating on a Saturday morning by writing a newsletter than should have gone out on April 2. Because we’re flexible now, here at EKJ Books Inc. We don’t have to start work on the hour or lose the whole thing. We don’t need to be at the cottage. We don’t need to have a manic episode. We just need to sit down, start the music and the timer, and do the work. And change the laundry over, because I think the first load is done.
The world is scary and overwhelming right now, and you might wonder why you make art at all. I have spent the last few months wrapping myself up in the blanket fort of Veilguard, art produced by dozens of people over a decade, and I still wonder why I bother to draft my weird little books. But that’s the answer. That’s why we make art. Because even if we’re only one kid’s blanket fort, we’ve done our job. And it’s okay if we’re that one kid.
Titan of the Stars comes out on May 27, which is next month. It helps if I keep repeating it. You can pre-order it wherever books are sold, or request it at your local library.
Sky on Fire comes out on July 22, which is also coming up on us extremely quickly. Time is a flat circle, but you can still pre-order or request, same as above.