2024!
Welcome to 2024: New year, new calendar, new thoughts.
I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions, but around this time last year, I said that I wanted to focus on what has come to be known as “Swedish death-cleaning”—a rather noir term for dealing with all that stuff your kids won’t have any idea what to do with, and will cause them to send hateful thoughts in your direction if you get run down by a bus. And I can report that indeed, I’ve taken some steps in that direction, giving away books and clothes, filling bags for Goodwill, and even finding a home for the “Russell archives”
(a grand name for a whole lot of filing boxes full of notes, first drafts, and such.) Loads left to do, but it’s a start!
As for 2024, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice turns 30 this year, which seems as good a time as any to think about this job of mine.
Don’t worry, I don’t intend to stop writing. In fact, I’ve signed a contract for two new books, so it’s either write or hand back the advance. But what about all the peripheral stuff, the time-consuming extras that can just eat up a writer’s life?
I suspect that this may be the last year I travel to any great extent for book events.
This year I have four day-long Russell & Holmes events that are going to be enormous fun, but are also going suck up a whole lot of time and energy. I have book events for The Lantern’s Dance as well—not many, but frankly, publishers are pulling back so much on author tours, new books in the future won’t have the same in-person attention as they’ve had in the past. Plus those, I’m doing a LOT of virtual library events to celebrate The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, and even a zoom meet takes a slice out of my writing day.
So, no, I’m not planning on pulling up the doormat and becoming a full-fledged hermit, and I’ll probably continue going to one or two conferences a year, but if you’re looking to chat with me, take a selfie, or get me to sign your books,
you might want to focus on 2024. My events page has it all—and I hope we get to meet up, somewhere on the road.
And I wish you all the very best in 2024.
Alas, I missed you the last time you were in the islands (Hawaii), and it would be an extremely fortuitous and unlikely trip that coincided with one of your events, so I will just wish you a felicitous 2024 from afar. Just ordered Lantern’s Dance for our library.
Hope they all like it!
Laurie
Happy New Year from a fan in Ontario Canada. Take time for yourself to rest and recharge, but please don’t stop writing.
Recharging is indeed necessary!
Laurie
It’s good to see your reaction to your amazing schedule and plans. As much as I’ve enjoyed Russell and Holmes for so long, I was delighted to get to know “Cousin” Raquel Laing, and I’m hoping that one of the books in that contract will help me get to know her better.
Happy, busy new year!
Yep, she’s my 2025 project.
Laurie
Thank you for taking care of yourself!!
I have the desire to sort things out, for the children, but it is challenging!
Looking forward to your “day” in Seattle/Bellevue in April!!
Onward, April!
Laurie
I hope you never get tired of writing
Writing? No! All the other stuff? Well…
Laurie
‘Edit to amplify’ … hard to edit down the meetings but your time and brain space are precious. We love you and hope you never get tired of writing. Working ‘on’ your business can take up a lot of working ‘in’ your business time so totally understand. Hope to see you at the Washington BEEK event. Hope you have a happy, peace-filled 2024.
Thank you–and see you in April!
Laurie
Squeeze in some time in VT ? Not too far from MA…. Thank you for the hours of reading and day dreaming pleasure. I just finished re-reading Touchstone and now I must go and re-read the Bones of Paris to stay connected.