Charging Your Batteries in 2013

It's a brand new year.  It's still got its shine and that New Year smell, which really isn't like that new car smell but at least it isn't like that wet dog smell.  I stared at empty page for a while, trying to figure out what profound thing I would talk about for my very first blog of 2013 and ... well... I got nothing.

That isn't true.  I could talk about the upcoming release of DEAD MAN'S DEAL, but that isn't until May and I've still got plenty of time to hammer on you about that.

So, I thought, how about writing?  Or maybe what I've been thinking about writing recently?

Let me take you on a little journey.  Earlier today, a London friend pointed out an interesting article/interview of the fabulous Joss Whedon.  Part of the article was about how he chose to switch gears creatively rather than take a vacation to help recharge his creative batteries.  (Click here to read the article.)

After reading the article, I've come to realize that I've been doing just that during the past month! 

After completing the edits on DEAD MAN'S DEAL, I have been officially out of contract (which basically means no one is paying me to write a book).  This happens from time to time for an author as you figure out whether a series will continue, what you want to work on next, and what the publishers are interested in.  That empty zone can be both freeing and terrifying.  For me, I am going with freeing, but I'm willing to open the door on terrifying at a later date.

I've handed in a proposal for another book to the Asylum Tales, but in the meantime, I've drifted away from the urban fantasy genre.  It's sort of like cleansing the palate.  When I'm playing in urban fantasy, there's lots of fighting and magic and the world tends to be in desperate need of saving.  Every once in a while, I want to work with characters that aren't trying to save the world and who are just trying to do something normal like ... find love ... or get along with their family.  It's a matter of taking the camera angle from a wide view to a close up.

Unbelievably, I've been writing urban fantasy for 8 years now.  But I'll share a secret with you.  I didn't start out writing about vampires and werewolves.  Nope.  First book I ever finished writing was a retelling of Robin Hood. Of course, I was 12 at the time and you will never ever ever see it. In high school, I finished my second book, an original fantasy novel.  It was the first in a series, in fact.  I only got about halfway done with the second book.  My dream is to circle back to that series one day.  After the fantasy novel, I spent several years writing romance stories, both contemporary and historical.  And then, somehow, I found my way to urban fantasy.

As I start 2013, I've got a list of projects that has the beginnings of 7 different novels and 1 novella.  They span four different genres.  I think the diversity will keep me glued to my keyboard with excitement for the foreseeable future while growing and honing my writing skills.  And the bonus is that if a publisher is interested in any of that work, that's represents more for you to read!

What do you do to recharge your batteries when you're running low?



Love comes in many varied forms.  There is the love of family, love of country, and love of chocolate.  But for Jocelynn Drake, one truly treasured love is the love of a good story.  This Midwestern native spends the majority of her time lost in the strong embrace of a good book.  When she’s not hammering away at her keyboard, frowning at her monitor, or curled up with a book, she can usually be found cuddling with her cat Demona, walking her dog Max, or flinging curses at the TV while playing a video game.  Outside of books, cats, and video games, she is completely enamored of Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, fast cars, and Anthony Bourdain (but only when he’s feeling really cranky). Jocelynn is the author of the Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales.