by Kathy Cannon Wiechman
I
have always been a busy person. In my younger days, I worked numerous jobs,
raised four kids, served as president of the PTO, did volunteer work, planned
family reunions, and (more or less) “kept house.” But I always made time to
write. I wrote poems, short stories, and novels. My dream was to be a published
novelist.
Now,
by virtue of my age, I am a Senior Citizen. And my dream has finally come true.
As my peers retire or think about retirement, I am a published novelist, a
working writer. While they take up hobbies or relax on their decks or patios, I
am busier than ever.
My
debut novel (LIKE A RIVER) will launch next month, and I work tirelessly to
promote it. I arrange school visits, book signings, and speaking engagements. I
answer interview questions, select excerpts, and write blog posts for Swagger
and other blogs to get the word out. I post on Facebook and I “tweet.”
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| Kathy and her husband Jim with Kathy's debut novel. |
The
contract I signed for my second novel gives me a deadline of March 31 to have
my revisions finished. This one needed a ton of work, and I feel that deadline
breathing down my neck every minute.
I am also planning
the next family reunion, while keeping house has become one of those intentions
that rarely comes to fruition. But my dream has come true! I am a published
novelist.
As
soon as I finish these revisions and wait for notes from my editor and copy
editor, I will begin work on another novel. I have already scheduled a research
trip to delve into background for the novel after that.
If
I were younger, maybe I’d slow down. But when one is a Senior Citizen, one is
more conscious of the “ultimate deadline” that grows closer for all of us each
day. I still have a lot I want to do. And I am busier than ever.
