Well, for the most part, last year’s post still applies. 2021 was pretty much 2020, part 2.
I’d really hoped to be in our new house by now, which would have unlocked a lot of time. Where we’re living now means a few hours a day driving back and forth to schools, or else being stuck in the middle of nowhere with an increasingly feral toddler. However, between covid, Brexit and the usual delays, we’re still waiting on it to be finished, and still living in a state of permanent temporariness – there’s a lot of “why bother doing X, when we’ll be out of here in a few months” – which, unfortunately, is where we’ve been for years.
Writing went… well, again, nothing’s on fire. The Broken God came out in May. Black Iron Legacy 4 is partly written, but isn’t contracted yet. It won’t be out next year, obviously – I suspect I won’t have any novel releases in 2022. Another novel, which hasn’t been officially announced yet, is currently with the editors. Writing it did not go smoothly at all – I completely lost confidence in my own abilities for months, and had to drag the words out all year. But it’s done, and it will be made good, and I hit all my deadlines, and that’s not nothing.
I need to get out of the holding pattern. I need to work smarter, and to enjoy myself more, and be more ambitious, and have more fun, and push myself more, and sleep more.
And stop doom scrolling.
But there’s so much doom right now, it feels dishonest to look away.
I’d like to end on a positive note, but as I write, there’s an absolute tidal wave of covid cases out there. I’m not worried about myself – I’m vaccinated, boosted, and I work from home – but I’ve got vulnerable relatives, the schools are a disaster area, and I know that we’ll be digging ourselves out of the covid hole for another year. So, there’s a positive aspect to the holding pattern, too – when there’s an abyss directly below you, holding in place is good.
Gareth Hanrahan 