On the other hand, there is an awesome element to being on the periphery of things, and that’s the place where I find myself now. See, when you aren’t in the spotlight, then it really isn’t hard to get the awkward busy-bodies off your back. You just throw them nuggets of information here and there, and they’re usually satisfied. And the truth is, they likely won’t remember them anyway, because this is where the awesome comes in.
See, when you’re on the periphery, that means that the main attention is focused on the people in the spotlight. Besides keeping an eye on you to make sure you aren’t wandering too far off the reservation, they’re usually more concerned with the main event than anything you’re doing. That means that you get blessed peace and quiet, and can pretty much do what you want without interference or a bunch of “wait, what the hell are you doing?” as long as you keep showing up and looking normal when and where you’re supposed to be.
Here’s my case in point: in the past 6 weeks, I started writing a science-fiction trilogy and an exercise program. I mentioned it to people and got a polite “that’s nice,” but I can tell it’s not registering because they’re all focused on other things. Rick knows this, of course, because he lives with me and is paying attention to what I’m going. But I guarantee you that, despite nearly daily postings and frequent mentions in this blog, there will still be people out there saying “OMG, when did you do THAT!” when the trilogy gets published. They’re hearing but not listening, and because they’re focused elsewhere, I can work on it undisturbed and without interference or prying questions/eyes/probing about “what are you putting in there?” It sure beats the struggle I had writing Splinter, where I was in the spotlight of a lot of change and everybody felt it was their personal obligation to remind me of all the more important things and problems they thought I should be handling instead of writing. (Of course, all of that resistance was forgotten once it was published last November.) The Earthside Trilogy is rolling along with only the work of researching and writing while prying eyes are focused elsewhere. And that, folks, is a writer’s dream. It’s awesome!
A lot of people get frustrated when they think people aren’t paying attention to them, but I say its the best of all worlds. There’s a charm about being able to quietly go about your business without having to deal with questions or people wanting explanations, and it’s a blessing you should enjoy because they will eventually open their eyes and want to know “what you’re up to.” I’m not saying it’s a pass to do bad things. Quite the opposite, this is a perfect time to sow seeds and establish endeavors that will pay off in the future. It’s great because only those closest to you are paying attention, and they’ll support you. And you’re free of distraction and hindrance from those that might not have such golden motives, since they’re busy interfering elsewhere. As I said in a short story I wrote this week: no people, no problem.
I intend to fully enjoy my anonymity. In fact, it’s fun. I’m looking forward to surprising people when the timing is right to claim the fruits of current labors.
That’s all today. Have a great weekend.
Bye!
See, when you’re on the periphery, that means that the main attention is focused on the people in the spotlight. Besides keeping an eye on you to make sure you aren’t wandering too far off the reservation, they’re usually more concerned with the main event than anything you’re doing. That means that you get blessed peace and quiet, and can pretty much do what you want without interference or a bunch of “wait, what the hell are you doing?” as long as you keep showing up and looking normal when and where you’re supposed to be.
Here’s my case in point: in the past 6 weeks, I started writing a science-fiction trilogy and an exercise program. I mentioned it to people and got a polite “that’s nice,” but I can tell it’s not registering because they’re all focused on other things. Rick knows this, of course, because he lives with me and is paying attention to what I’m going. But I guarantee you that, despite nearly daily postings and frequent mentions in this blog, there will still be people out there saying “OMG, when did you do THAT!” when the trilogy gets published. They’re hearing but not listening, and because they’re focused elsewhere, I can work on it undisturbed and without interference or prying questions/eyes/probing about “what are you putting in there?” It sure beats the struggle I had writing Splinter, where I was in the spotlight of a lot of change and everybody felt it was their personal obligation to remind me of all the more important things and problems they thought I should be handling instead of writing. (Of course, all of that resistance was forgotten once it was published last November.) The Earthside Trilogy is rolling along with only the work of researching and writing while prying eyes are focused elsewhere. And that, folks, is a writer’s dream. It’s awesome!
A lot of people get frustrated when they think people aren’t paying attention to them, but I say its the best of all worlds. There’s a charm about being able to quietly go about your business without having to deal with questions or people wanting explanations, and it’s a blessing you should enjoy because they will eventually open their eyes and want to know “what you’re up to.” I’m not saying it’s a pass to do bad things. Quite the opposite, this is a perfect time to sow seeds and establish endeavors that will pay off in the future. It’s great because only those closest to you are paying attention, and they’ll support you. And you’re free of distraction and hindrance from those that might not have such golden motives, since they’re busy interfering elsewhere. As I said in a short story I wrote this week: no people, no problem.
I intend to fully enjoy my anonymity. In fact, it’s fun. I’m looking forward to surprising people when the timing is right to claim the fruits of current labors.
That’s all today. Have a great weekend.
Bye!
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