Hypermania
I had it on my to-do list to pitch one new market. Instead, just for fun, I pitched seven. And one old one. I know, sounds great, right? But by next week I’ll have settled into my usual state of apathy and won’t even think of querying anywhere. I go in fits and starts like this.
Also I think I’m pitching to avoid thinking too hard about the sample chapters. Sometimes the only way to get more work done is to do other work. Did you ever notice that? It’s like my peripheral vision is more effective sometimes than sitting and staring at another project.
So. As I said below: interviews lined up. The one tomorrow and two more I need to schedule with new off-line sources. Off-line! Imagine that! I have to figure out when I can shuttle Madison here or there and get those done.
Queries out. Waiting to hear more from an editor who likes the idea but needs to check with her bosses. (Urgh.) Ummm, what else? I’m behind on laundry, need to do that. Need to clean out the ‘fridge, too, come to think of it.
Plesae don’t respond with, “Good for you, Dawn!” You want to know why? Because this is hypermania. This isn’t how I normally live my life or even how I want to live my life. I don’t like things this hectic. It does not make me happy to gaze upon my children’s shining faces and think, “Now how can I exploit this moment for a pitch?” In fact, too much of this sort of thing makes me miserable. But when I get crazed like this, I run with it. Then I lie dormant for weeks (months) and that’s just fine. This is one of the reasons I hate pitching and am trying to line up regular work — this isn’t a pace I can live with.
Ugh, I am having the exact opposite problem — summoning the energy to deal with the few assignments I have knocking around now, let alone finishing the pitch I started six weeks ago for a new market. Perhaps we could combine our activity levels and come up with something halfway acceptable for both of us? Not even the placebo effect of decaf is doing it for me this morning…
If we could just bottle ambition and take it in the dose needed for that day, it would be fabulous. Maybe there could even be specified ambition- like housework, workwork, special projects.