The Dreaded Question

For most, ambition is an innate personality trait. It’s the “bigger, better, best” mentality that is ingrained in most human beings at a young age—”Johnnie, if you get all A’s on your report card we’ll go to Disney World this summer!” It’s the notion that if you work really hard, you’ll be successful. And that a person should never settle for the status quo—complacency and “being comfortable” are the nemeses of ambition.

Nowadays, ambitious people are sought out by employers on a large scale. A typical question in an interview is, “What’s your 5-year plan?”—because we should be able to see 5-years into the future and dictate exactly what we will achieve in life, right? Yeah, its a pretty asinine question to pose to someone who may be trying to just get their foot in the door, and in reality the answer doesn’t matter; it’s more about the thought process and seeing if the candidate has ambition to move up the corporate ladder. Because a promotable employee is a desirable new hire. 5-year plans are also a crucial part of career path building—if you have year-end reviews, you know what I mean. In corporate America, it’s always about that next promotion and doing whatever you can to achieve it.

Ambition isn’t pigeonholed to only the professional environment. Ambition sneaks into all aspects of society.

Think about the one question that is CONSTANTLY asked of a first-time mother. I have first hand experience in this :)

“So, when are you having another one?”

A woman could be three-weeks postpartum, but I guarantee she is asked this by every visitor who comes to gawk at the baby. And I’m guilty of this as well, so no judgement. Just like corporate America, we shouldn’t be satisfied with what is in front of us; the baby in her arms isn’t enough, that mother should want MORE. A similar question is asked of newlyweds, because again, the thought of enjoying the now—like newlywed bliss—is a very foreign concept in our world. We always want MORE.

Naturally there is a writing equivalent; what I’ve named the “dreaded question” concerning ambition. One that is starting to be asked of me quite a bit.

“So, when is your next book coming out?”

Can I go out on a limb and say any sentence that begins with the word “So…” is cringeworthy? One little word and you know something awkward is coming!

Depending on how you interpret it and the tone in which it is asked, this question can be both patronizing and flattering. Patronizing because its “oh so easy” to throw a book together and get it published, right? Please see my previous blogs to find proof of the contrary. And every author has two or three half written manuscripts that they can just slap together—this may actually be true for some authors. But for the most part, this question is flattering. People who ask this are genuinely interested in your craft and ask out of curiosity. Over the last week or so—as a few people have finished reading The Witness Tree— I’ve been asked this question by people who are anxious for more from me. That my book brought back a love for reading—one reader told me just that—and they couldn’t wait to see what I did next. That is the ultimate compliment. With reviews like that, any author would be jumping for joy and want to pump out content as quickly as possible; be another James Patterson who has at least one new release every year—he has a great ghostwriter, btw. Force creativity, cheapen the art and just get right back into it.

But is it okay to live in the glow of your current piece of art? Take some time before starting a new project, enjoy the feedback and success of something you poured your very soul into, and just let all of it marinate for awhile?

So where do I fall between the polar opposites of Ambition and Contentment?

Well…I’m a bit strung between the two.

I’m DYING to get right back into it. Put pen to paper and create. More than anything, I just want to dive into inspiration; pick a topic I’m passionate about and start researching. Am I one of those authors who has two or three half finished manuscripts laying around? Absolutely not. I have one or two ideas—maybe a few pages written—but nothing really fleshed out. To be honest, I haven’t really found that one topic that excites me; that one thing that makes me start researching like crazy. My muse is out there, I just need the time to find her.

But on the other hand…

When I say it took me seven-years to complete The Witness Tree—from concept to publishing—I am not exaggerating. For some, that may seem like an exurbanite amount of time, but keep in mind that writing does not pay my bills; I have a fulltime job, so writing mainly took place in the hour or two I had free after work or on weekends. Plus, this book was research heavy; I spent months researching artifact and manuscript preservation, midwifery in the 1800s, and the Battle of Gettysburg. Needless to say, this was a true labor of love and once that listing went up on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, it felt like I had just given birth. So, yeah it would be nice to just sit back and enjoy my hard work. Not force myself to write anything outside of this monthly blog. Let inspiration hit me when she wants to.

Not to say I’m currently sitting on my hands and doing nothing; I’m actively marketing and promoting The Witness Tree, submitting the manuscript into a few writing competitions (fingers crossed) and also waiting on two professional reviews to be completed (fingers crossed, again). All of which will hopefully get my book into the hands of as many readers as possible.

So to answer the “dreaded question”: not anytime soon. At this moment, I want to position The Witness Tree to be as successful as it can be, but I will be on the lookout for my next big idea. Naturally, this blog will be a constant regardless and hopefully that will fill the need for my readers for the time being :)