If there are aliens flying overhead, looking for an overactive brain to experiment on...I'm about to get abducted.
This is the type of crazy thought that occurred to me as I lay awake at 2am. I may have even listened out for sounds of UFOs. I'm not sure what they would sound like, but I imagine it's some sort of whirling mechanical noise, right? It would be subtle...Because if aliens really were inexplicably hovering over my house they would probably try to be covert about it.
So yeah, that was what I was thinking about at 2am this morning. Before I knew it, 2am turned to 4am. I should mention: I didn't wake up at 2am. I just never fell asleep. Couldn't shut off my mind. I have trouble going to sleep on most nights, but never this bad. I was up all night.
This morning, when I casually mentioned to my husband that I didn't fall asleep until 4-ish only to wake again at six, he asked, "What were you doing that whole time?" And I said, "Thinking." He gave me a weird look. "You just lay in bed just...thinking all night?" When I failed understand his surprise, he added, "I would think it's boring, not doing anything for so many hours." Bored? Not doing anything? I was doing something--I was thinking. Doesn't he know how many calories a human brain burns? Well...not that many actually.
I wish I could say I was up thinking about a story i'm writing. But, the truth is I was up thinking about the less creative and more practical side to publishing. The side that seems to take up more of my time and brain power than i'd like. I'm referring to all of the behind the scenes nuts and bolts that have to go into place for a novel to stand a chance in this overly saturated market.
Let me tell you, just the thought of the business side to this is overwhelming. I knew next to nothing when I published my first novel and now I know only a little more, despite countless months of research. Every day I learn something new about the publishing industry.
It's exciting and it's also humbling. Makes me feel like a hamster running on a wheel. Because I'm late to this party. And there's so much work to be done for me to reach my goals. Not to mention, I am still building a platform to stand on, finding my readers. I know...everyone starts somewhere, right? Entangle is my start. And from the moment I decided to self publish that novel, I've churned along every single day towards the next one. I finished Entice a few weeks ago and i've started the third novel while I let Entice simmer so I can go back re-read it with fresh eyes. One of my beta readers already got back to me with her notes and i'm ready to dive into revisions this week.
So that's what i'm up to these days. Running on a hamster wheel of sorts. Though, let me tell you--I'm loving every minute of this. I just hope the aliens don't abduct me before I have a chance to upload Entice to amazon for preorder.
Anyway, it's only 8:30pm here in California, but I should probably call it a night. I've been awake for what feels like two whole days. On that note, you should totally excuse any typos--not just in this post, but for the rest of time ;).
Just curious--What helps you go to sleep on nights when your mind wont shut off?