This time of year makes me think of my work ethic as a writer. And yet it turns out that the last time I wrote about Lughnasadh was two years ago. So what, you may ask, and what even is that? 😉 Lughnasadh was a Celtic celebration of the beginning of harvest season. It’s one of eight old seasonal pagan holidays, many of which evolved into holidays we know and love today (Christmas, Easter, Halloween).
I like the idea of seasonal holidays–that is, holidays that explicitly recognize the changes in the natural world around us. Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, is all about crops coming in. Wheat and apples historically, but these days in our CSA we’re seeing corn, peaches, and cucumbers, too. (Plus lots of leafy greens that end up going to the tortoise!) To me these things mark the slide into fall, which might be my favorite season here in the Northeast.
But it’s more metaphorical harvests I wanted to write about today. Looking back, two years ago, I wrote about query letters and author platform woes; my harvest was a written work that I was trying so hard to turn into something to share. Last year, I didn’t spare a moment to write about harvests, because I was in the thick of self-publishing my first mystery novel–which was immediately followed by three sequels. So my harvest that year was a published series, but it was very tiring!
It’d be nice to say this year I’ve learned my lesson and I take things at a slower pace, but that’s not exactly true. I’m releasing a novella–and a print edition of another novella–and a spare novella on the side at the end of the month. They’re all from the Pomegranate Café Romance series, so even if my “harvest” this year isn’t much less intense, it’s very affirming and lovey-dovey, at least. 😉 I think being content with what you’ve created is a real skill. Experience–and also romance writing!–is helping me learn that, albeit slowly.
We get a lot of messages about pushing harder, sowing all the seeds, harvesting more. Last year, as I mentioned, I could hardly stop for a breath–and I thought that was because I was doing things right, doing my best. But now that I am making more of an effort to slow down, I find it comforting to reflect on what I’ve done and what’s coming next. And guess what? Focusing on what I have rather than what more I could be doing is actually productive. Particularly because it makes me feel less anxious. There are still those worries about whether I’ve done enough, of course, but I’m learning to quiet them . . . and learning that when they are quiet, the world does not fall apart. 😉
What have you done so far this year, and what is coming up for you as we approach fall? What comes to mind when you stop to think about it? Here’s your chance for a quiet moment of appreciation. 🙂
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