I have to write the book I want to read...
On finally making a decision about my NEXT next book.
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What will today’s newsletter be? Hmm…
I am still (somewhat impatiently) waiting on word from the next picture book manuscript that my agent sent out into the world. But while I wait, it’s on to the next one. Or is it onto? I can never be for certain. There’s many books within this head of mine. There’s so much content stored on computers, in stacks of journals, napkins, paper plates, etc. that I could fill about three or four books right now. They wouldn’t make any sense though.
The problem with having so much is that you’re overwhelmed with having so much. Kinda like how your tv is stuffed with 50 or so streaming apps and each of those have thousands of options and by the time you figure out what to watch for Friday’s movie night, it’s already Tuesday.
I have too much. And I still write more. Because I am constantly thinking that what I have, isn’t enough. Or it ain’t good enough.
I have put together three or four different book ideas, all of them are magnificent as hell, y’all. I am not just saying that. Well, I am because I wanted a way to throw the word “magnificent” in here. But seriously though, I think they are amazing stories.
Thing is, I can’t write on them at the same time. Thought I could, and in a world where I wasn’t already doing so much, I think I could get it done. But I don’t take up residence in that world, I live in this one. The one where I am homeschool, educating myself and teaching my son how to spell to communicate, fielding doc appointments and handling health issues, promoting my already out there book, and not to mention running my Fidgets and Fries business as well as staying on top of my familial obligations.
Oh, and I applied to finish up my doctorate. I got in but I don’t know if I am going to finish it. Just writing that all out made me realize, I really ain’t got the time.
I wrote all of this to say that I gotta focus on one book at a time. I just have to.
Now, I was thinking that I should write the shortest one first, then work my way up by length of manuscript. That felt easier, but every single time I did that something reminded me of the book that I really need to write right now.
I recently shared (see below) about my disappointment in the types of books on autism I am seeing published right now. I am still not past that disappointment. In fact, I think I get even more disappointed thinking about it.
Just wanted a way to throw “disappointed” in there a bunch of times. Success.
The largest issue the autism community had in the past when presenting itself to the world was that it gave off the appearance that autism was something that only affected white boys with neurotypical parents. This is in large part due to the fact that
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