For five weeks in the fall we run food concession stands at two different fairs: the Maryland State Fair and the Frederick Fair, also in Maryland. We hand-roll soft pretzels from sunup until after sundown; we sell shoo-fly pies and whoopie pies and ham and cheese sandwiches; we have fun; we work our tails off.
These five weeks provide my family with a significant source of our annual income, so it’s important to get it right, to bring the right people, to think through the numbers that are involved.
I’m actually writing an essay about the 45 years I’ve been going to fairs (my entire life) for a book that comes out next year.
All of this to say, the revisions for my book about the Old Lady and Alan have gotten derailed by life. It’s a precarious thing, this writing journey—at times you have to give yourself permission to pause and focus on other things; at the same time, there are always, always, always other things to focus on.
How to decide when to pause, and when to push through?
What can you do when, as a writer, you realize you’re no longer writing?
Questions to ponder. I’d love to hear your answers in the comments below.
In the meantime, you might not hear much from me in this space until the last week of September (3 1/2 weeks away). But my plan is to finish this revision before Christmas.
Hopefully by the end of the year I’ll have some excited news for you. My agent is shopping my next novel! So, either I’ll have a publisher, or I’ll be gearing up to self-publish this small series of murder mysteries I’ve been working on.
Either way…enjoy the waning of summer, the shortening of days, the lessening of the heat, and, if you get a chance, go to a county fair and eat something fried or sugary.
County Fairs are wonderful! Been going to them in Jeffery Co WV for many years. Work the pro life booth and have survived some rough storms! Love the animals, like to touch pigs noses ( use sanitizer after😜) love curly deep fried potato with toppings and of course funnel cakes! Skipped the rides for the past 20 years! Love the 4H projects, sheep dressing and greased pigs! Actually went to Frederick Fair many years ago -70s or early 80s for their headliner show… Statler Brothers, I think it was!