One Week Until Launch of There Is Pain Here!
I have arrived once again at the final week before the launch of one my novels. This time, the fantasy adventure There Is Pain Here.
The final week before release has always felt the same to a certain degree. Relief. Anticipation. And more than a few spoonfuls of, “I can’t quite believe I managed to write this novel.”
Yes, it doesn’t matter that this is my fourth novel, or seventh book. There is always a slice of confused amazement that I get it done. Pride, yes, but more of it is a sort of transcendent wonder. There is a slight dissociation from it all once I get to the final week. It is a time wherein I feel removed from the process I spend so much time immersed in for so long.
Not that my entire life throughout the duration of writing a novel is a blur; it isn’t. But while during the writing process writing a novel is ingrained into my routine, sometimes requiring extra effort to make room for in a busy or tiring day, once the novel is ready to launch, there is a small portion of my consciousness that doesn’t register to effort any longer. It is as though to that part of my mind the manuscript suddenly came into existence.
It is particularly notable for this novel, because not only did it take me longer than usual to complete, (there was a months long period when I could bring myself to work on it for reasons uncertain), but things in my life were a strain. At the middle point of this particular process it seemed further away from realization than any of my other works, with the possible exception of my very first novel.
How ironic then, that this story was designed to be the leanest, most action-oriented adventure of all of my novels thus far.
One always spends a great deal of mental time and energy on one’s characters, but usually it is confined to one’s imagination. Yet in this case, I’ve spent just about two years spending time with the 20th president of the United States, both my version and the essence of the real one. James Garfield, someone who really lived. I have seen photos of him, read letters and speeches composed by him, in our world. I’ve done regular, even if not vigorous research on the man, despite writing a pure fantasy. No doubt I will read and learn more about the man in the future, but for now, the intense consideration of him has for the most part come to an end. Odd to let that go as well.
As with all of my novels, I don’t know how There Is Pain Here will be received. Hopefully well, of course. I won’t pretend that I somehow don’t care about people reading it, because I sure as hell do want you to do so. But in this final week before launch, I will, once again, try to look through the fog of dissociation and remind myself I successfully finished another novel.
There Is Pain Here launches one week from today in ebook form. (Paperbacks to follow a little later.)
Ty Unglebower 