On Graceful Exits

On Graceful Exits

: catvalente; July 15th, 2011

This is to say that I will not be attending either ComicCon or Worldcon, despite what it says on my website.

Before you frown at me, hear me out.

You may have noticed the lack of posting on this blog throughout May, June, and July. You may have noticed how many states and countries I have been in during those months. You may have heard about this Fairy book I wrote that has been going like gangbusters and how hard I've been working for it.

You may surmise from this, Reader, that I am tired.

Sorry, scratch that. I was tired at the end of May at Wiscon. I was exhausted in June. It's now mid-July and I have passed beyond that into some kind of state of hyperkinetic breakdown, like Fry after 100 cups of coffee. I am worn out to a serious, health-affecting, mind-melting degree. I haven't been home for more than a few days since April. I haven't written anything new in months and I'm behind on simply every single thing.

So the choice is this: you can have a zombie version me at ComicCon and Worldcon, or you can have more books.

I need to be writing 2013 and 2014's novels, and I need to be writing short fiction, and I need to be blogging, and I need to be resting. I need to be in my new house. I need to make sure my husband still knows my name. I need to stop talking. Seriously, all I've been doing is talking. About myself, about my books. I want to shut up. I need to shut up.

So for the sake of the books yet to be written, for The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, for Matryoshka, for The Radiant Car Thy Sparrows Drew and The Year of Red Snow, I have had to exercise my No Magic and admit I can't actually do everything. I have to take care of myself. I have to retreat and rebuild my heart and body. I've been running on an animal level for so long, of just finding enough food and caffeine to keep going, enough to sleep to not pass out, get on a plane, get in the car, go go go, that I need to figure out who I am again. I need to go home.

Please forgive me, that I could not quite run fast enough to keep up with the Red Queen. I will be at Capclave in October and most likely World Fantasy, but beyond that I am taking the rest of the year to make more books for you, to make a shiny new red tin-girl heart for me, and to sleep till the briars come up.

That kitty up there is gonna be me. Big fluffy belly and a goddamned nap.

But don't those titles make you want to lock me in a room til they're done? Well then. I'm on it.

( 44 comments — Write On My Skin )

arcadiagt5

2011-07-16 02:47 am (UTC)

Wise. Ultimately you have to be an artist first, and a saleswoman (which is what convention appearances are about) second.

Having said that I really liked your Guest of Honour speech at Continuum in Melbourne, and I am grateful that you were able to appear there.

Take care.

aiela

2011-07-16 02:49 am (UTC)

You should never apologize for needing to care for yourself, which is what you are doing. Rest, recharge, do the things that need doing and which fulfill you.

terajjin

2011-07-16 02:53 am (UTC)

I'm glad you're going to be taking the time for yourself, to be honest. Recharge the old magic pool and all that.

trektone

2011-07-16 02:56 am (UTC)

Rest and recharge! And drink wine! :)

spiralngphoenix

2011-07-16 03:06 am (UTC)

A chroí, I think I can safely say that most of us would be far happier to have you home, happy, and writing, than dragging your half-dead carcass around to public speaking events, miserable and exhausted.

Go, languish in a nice sunspot and recover for a bit. Snuggle your boy. Make friends with this new house of yours. Above all else, relax. You thoroughly deserve it. :)

miep

2011-07-16 03:07 am (UTC)

If I had a new house and books boiling under my skin I'd stay in and write, too.

omnia_mutantur

2011-07-16 03:18 am (UTC)

I am suitably impressed by your No Magic. And yes to the locking in the room.

Take care of yourself, sweetheart. And let me know if you need cookies sent, or an wild trip to lovely Somerville, where I will ply you with baked goods before sending you back to the locked room.

caoil

2011-07-16 03:27 am (UTC)

There will always be more cons. But there is only one you, and it's important that she be looked after!

brownkitty

2011-07-16 03:32 am (UTC)

I already know far too many people who are exhausted unto sickness and zombiedom. PLEASE come back from that state!

I personally would rather have you healthy and as well-rested as you are able to allow yourself to be.

dr_phil_physics

2011-07-16 03:32 am (UTC)

Rest. You deserve it. Look at your successes! Then get some welcome cat snuggles.

Dr. Phil

pameladean

2011-07-16 03:56 am (UTC)

I am relieved to hear it. Heal well.

P.

quennessa

2011-07-16 04:09 am (UTC)

I prefer books. Go home, dear lady. Rest well.

*pushes over a lovely cup of chamomile lavender tea*

ferdiaferlin

2011-07-16 05:18 am (UTC)

You could have a clone do your conventions. Maybe even a zombie clone,

or a changeling! Good People can help out.

W/regard to your husband remembering you, have you considered name-tags? "Hi I'm your wife"

Rest, rejuvenate, and rejoice

murasaki_1966

2011-07-16 05:22 am (UTC)

I was just about to suggest this.

murasaki_1966

2011-07-16 05:21 am (UTC)

Philip Pullman had to make the same decision. So did Neil Gaiman. You're in good company. Best of luck of luck and see you in (your) spring.

okami_no_yume

2011-07-16 05:22 am (UTC)

Hey, you need to rest. Burnout and exhaustion are not healthy at all. You deserve a couple of months off to rest and recharge your batteries. <3

I would love to attend a con that you're at someday. You're on my list of authors I want to meet list. :)

sarapada

2011-07-16 05:30 am (UTC)

I'm very glad for you that you are doing something that I find really hard: setting boundaries and taking care of myself. The No Magic is powerful magic.

saoba

2011-07-16 05:58 am (UTC)

Kitchen witch maxim 56: Sometimes you have to restock your heart and soul. It's like this- you cannot keep going to the cupboard and making meal after meal and loaves and loaves of bread and tasty pie and never go to the store. Eventually you find yourself trying to make a meal out of an empty cupboard.

Rest. Take care of you.

maverick_weirdo

2011-07-16 06:01 am (UTC)

I totally support you taking care of yourself (and not just because I want more books).

scamis

2011-07-16 06:04 am (UTC)

I suspect you might have been running yourself ragged due to being afraid the success will go away if you don't. I think that because that's what I would do. Whatever the reason, good on you for realizing it's time to go home and rest.

chisotahn

2011-07-16 06:31 am (UTC)

Oh, those titles... I am especially thrilled to see The Radiant Car Thy Sparrows Drew, because the short story is one of my favorites of yours. Absolutely.

And now I'm relating it back to your post on anchorites, which I re-read earlier because of your previous post... mmm.

thegreenyear

2011-07-16 07:34 am (UTC)

this is what i came in to say. so excited.

windbourne

2011-07-16 06:45 am (UTC)

Rest is for the tired. I'm glad to hear you're taking a little break--it is much deserved. And, hey, more books eventually! Bonus! :D

morbid_curious

2011-07-16 06:53 am (UTC)

I think it's important for us to remember that there's a person behind the writing, however much we may clamour for an author's time, attention and output at times. Take the time you need for you. Most will understand, and everyone else can damned well be patient.

triskelmoon

2011-07-16 08:21 am (UTC)

Oh my fierce thing. I think this is well and good and necessary. And when I see you next (Hogswatch, omg), I will coddle, and cook & feed you silly. I was sad I did not cook for you as much as I meant to in your visit.

ironed_orchid

2011-07-16 08:56 am (UTC)

Sounds like you really need it.

And having just finished Fairyland, I definitely want more, please.

Hug

justbeast, snuggle October and the dogs, be well.

nanote

2011-07-16 11:02 am (UTC)

Once again, Cat writes words that really make sense. Glad you're taking some well-deserved relief from the road. My cat Nemo recommends lots of attention to grooming and the sunniest patch of house you can find for a nap.

layangabi

2011-07-16 11:41 am (UTC)

But don't those titles make you want to lock me in a room til they're done? Well then. I'm on it.

Mostly, I want to send you pumpkin latte, or something equally pumpkiny and delicious, a soft blanket, and a full week where you can just sleep. It was lovely for Briony and me to meet with you this year, and I'm glad I finally got the courage to talk to you, at least a little. But we want you to take care of yourself, too. I'm glad you're doing just that.

hab318princess

2011-07-16 12:00 pm (UTC)

sounds wise to me... enjoy the well earned rest

emilytheslayer

2011-07-16 12:36 pm (UTC)

Good. I missed you. Anybody gives you crap about this I will kick them.

redfishie

2011-07-16 12:46 pm (UTC)

Knowing how to pace yourself is very important. It sounds like you've made a good decision for yourself.

firebirdgrrl

2011-07-16 12:46 pm (UTC)

That is a wise choice (and no room-locking necessary either)-you have earned the right to lie around blowing bubbles or anything else you want.

Looking forward to Capclave!

cathshaffer

2011-07-16 03:36 pm (UTC)

You do what you need to. I've been in this business since 1996, and although I love the new crop of writers, there is a new fashion for lots of traveling and lots of convention appearances. You don't have to do that. It's not even clear that it helps your sales all that much. The most important activity for writers is writing. If you love traveling to conventions and you're not exhausted by it, then have at it. But a lot of people (including me) just can't handle that kind of schedule. Enjoy your writing time!

deakat

2011-07-16 04:33 pm (UTC)

I did get the sense at WisCon that your energy stores needed serious replenishing, so I'm very happy to read this. Retreat, rebuild and write sounds like the perfect plan. We'll still be here when you're ready to hit the road again. <3

libris_leonis

2011-07-16 05:40 pm (UTC)

Let's be honest; whilst even a zombiefied-you would, I suspect, be an engaging public speaker, a non-zombified you some time down the road, with the batteries recharged and the creative juices flowing or having flowed, as opposed to having been kept bottled up whilst you madly run around zombifying yourself for the sake of sales, is far preferable.

Or so methinks.

pyre006

2011-07-16 05:51 pm (UTC)

happy hunting :)

foxipher

2011-07-16 06:30 pm (UTC)

Taking care of yourself is the best thing. <3

destructothemad

2011-07-17 12:25 am (UTC)

"So the choice is this: you can have a zombie version me at ComicCon and Worldcon, or you can have more books."

Zombie Cat - most literate horror movie EVAR!

chamisa

2011-07-17 10:42 pm (UTC)

I'm glad to hear you are going to be taking some well-deserved and much-needed time off. It is very important to recharge and take care of yourself.

Selfishly, I am also glad that you make the trek to NM first, and I got to meet you today at Alamosa Books (I'm Rachael, we chatted a bit before your talk & I gave you my pen). :-) I really enjoyed meeting you and hearing you read so beautifully from your book. Hope you enjoy the rest of your time here!

zoethe

2011-07-18 01:35 pm (UTC)

Lock you in a room, and bring you tea and healthy food and soft music and make you REST for at least a few days. Then write, yes. But you need to recover.

Much love.

rune1279

2011-07-18 04:13 pm (UTC)

Vamoose! Rest well! (I've been known to do this, myself, and I haven't 1/100th the to-do list that you do.)

jenx

2011-07-18 04:54 pm (UTC)

I would rather have you taking care of yourself than burning out and not being able to write, to be happy, to have a life. Not being able to do the creative thing that feeds me because I'm exhausted makes me even more tired - there's a well inside that needs to be allowed to fill again.

kyburg

2011-07-18 07:20 pm (UTC)

This is a wise, mature adult speaking. Actually, my choice is you - plain and simple. You do what you decide is best, and that's all good here.

There will be a next time. I am sure of it.

qnofhrt

2011-07-19 01:34 pm (UTC)

Glad you're taking time out to recharge.

( 44 comments — Write On My Skin )

catvalente

Rules for Anchorites

Letters from Proxima Thule