The other day I started the second novella in the Deepdale Acres series (the first is Private Lessons, which I serialized here for free). Since I gave it away for free, and it’s not what I usually write (contemporary erotic romance) and I only got one comment period in the way of feedback why would I choose to spend that kind of time and effort on a sequel that I also intend to release for free (some time next year)?

The thing is, as a writer you get caught up in the grind of write-edit-submit-wonder-if-its-good-enough-edit-submit-rinse-repeat. You spend so much time working on Cool New Project ™ then on marketing Cool New Story(tm) then wondering if you’re just deluding yourself and Cool New Story(tm) is really just Crappy Old Story, But This One Has My Name On It(tm) and you aren’t objective enough to realize it. Then you start getting frustrated because you aren’t selling anything, and even if you’re getting personal rejects or feedback you can’t help wondering why you’re just not breaking through…

So, I need a cleansing project. Something that’s fun to write, and that I have no intention of selling. What’s more perfect than a genre that’s completely out of the ordinary for me, and that I have no intention of trying to make a career in.

That’s right, we forget that once we try to make a pro out of ourselves we give up the pure and simple joy of being a hobbyist.

In a way I’m lucky not to be a pro stuck writing just for contracts and restricted by deadlines and single minded fans. It means I can, and should remind myself that I started doing this writing thing, because it was fun. It was challenging, but I loved every minute of putting words together like Legos on a page and making something more out of them.

So I’m writing something that won’t bring me money, or pro credits, and if it’s like Private Lessons, might not even bring me readers. But it’s fun, and it makes me happy. And every so often we need that kind of cleansing in our careers.