Changing Gears

I published my first book a few weeks ago.

The fact that it was a programming book about fractals (and that I started to type fract instead of fact at the beginning of that sentence) is as much a surprise to me as it is to you.

Writing projects take on an identity of their own with me. They get their own mono-graphed coffee mugs (well, actually they don’t but that would be sweet and I should totally do that for Surreality). But I do have a process involving buying new flash drives, configuring the portable apps I think I’ll need, and repacking my “go bags” to include the appropriate material.

Right now I’m still using my fractal “go bags” which include more eReaders than I probably need at any one time, and fractal references I am trying to resist reading til at least this next fiction project is done. (I’m also trying not to buy any more fractal books, but I haven’t quite got that down yet).

I think the thing that is most surprising to me is how energized and how tired I am at the same time. I am chomping at the bit to re-read Surreality and begin the revision process anew, but I am also more exhausted than I realized from the 14 month blitz that was the fractal book, then bundle. Part of it is lack of creative energy, and part of it is physical exhaustion from a lot of late nights, and altogether too much coffee.

I had intended to pick up some video game as a distraction but in my recreational time I haven’t had the energy to do more than binge watch Star Trek: Enterprise (which if you can ignore Bakula is pretty okay). But realistically my brain is already in all Surreality all the time mode, even if I don’t have the energy to turn those thoughts into words.

My 35 minute commute, which was spent composing algorithms and plotting out the day’s fractal generation, is now being spent visualizing scenes, and re-writing them in my head. I may need to consider some kind of dictation machine if this keeps up.

But I am excited. I started some of my revisions of Surreality earlier this week, writing some new material for a scene and was pleased to discover it was fun to write these characters again. And the fractal book isn’t over yet. I’m still thinking of ways to get reviews, and get the word out to math associations and anyone else who’s willing to read it.

What was supposed to be kind of a break is turning out to be one of my busiest times ever.

Sadly, or maybe not so sadly, I don’t think I’d have it any other way.