Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: thoughtful
  • Music: Anya Marina, "Not a Through Street."

Six months of the full-time life.

As of today, it has been six months since I quit my day job to become a full-time writer.

In those six months, I have traveled all over the country; I have seen and spent time with friends I hadn't really spent time with in years; I have finished writing multiple books; I have made word count more days than not; and I have slept. I have actually slept. It's hard to make people understand how important that is. I really had not been sleeping for several years. Slow sleep insomnia + things I had to do in the evening if they were ever going to happen + a 5am alarm all combined to = half my sick days were literally "I have pushed myself to the point where my body will not allow me to get out of bed." And now I am sleeping.

In the past six months, I have been seriously ill once, and that was a twelve-hour stomach bug that came on like a wrecking ball, and had me throwing up so hard and so consistently that I actually pulled muscles on both sides of my ribs. That may not sound like a good thing, but it was the sort of illness that fells whom it will, and doesn't care about your overall health. It wasn't brought on my exhaustion. Prior to quitting my job, I was literally coming down with a cold, flu, or other illness once a month. I am no longer losing my health to exhaustion.

I have to be a little more fiscally careful now, just because my income isn't as certain. I have to learn not to overcommit myself (I traveled a wee bit too much in the first part of the year, just out of the joy of freedom). I need to get better about finding anthologies, rather than waiting for them to come to me every single time, just to keep my finances moving in the right direction. But.

I am not sorry.

This was the smartest choice I ever made.

I can sleep, and that is worth everything that is more complicated than it used to be.
Tags: contemplation, state of the blonde
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geekhyena

July 16 2014, 16:15:54 UTC 2 years ago

*applauds* Congratulations!

seanan_mcguire

July 19 2014, 23:18:07 UTC 2 years ago

Thank you.

ashabardon

July 16 2014, 16:16:27 UTC 2 years ago

Yay! All of the awesome, except the bug bit of course. Congrats Seanan!

Sleep is good :D

seanan_mcguire

July 19 2014, 23:18:31 UTC 2 years ago

That part was oddly awesome; it confirmed that I was actually living this way, not having a really detailed dream.

kassrachel

July 16 2014, 16:18:07 UTC 2 years ago

I remember how devastating I found not-sleeping during the first year of our son's life, so I can relate.

I'm so glad that this has turned out to be an emotionally and physically healthy decision, in addition to being a decision which enables the rest of us to enjoy more of your tasty tasty stories. \o/!

seanan_mcguire

July 19 2014, 23:18:40 UTC 2 years ago

<3

naath

July 16 2014, 16:18:13 UTC 2 years ago

Sleep is just the best thing.

seanan_mcguire

July 19 2014, 23:18:53 UTC 2 years ago

It really, really is.

seabhac_mhor

July 16 2014, 16:49:27 UTC 2 years ago

I'm really glad that you've been getting sleep. I know how critical that actually is for a person's health (being that I have sleep apnea).

seanan_mcguire

July 19 2014, 23:19:09 UTC 2 years ago

Sleep is just the BEST THING.

raidswindmills

July 16 2014, 16:51:42 UTC 2 years ago

I'm so happy for you. You were working way too hard and it's awesome that you can now work on just writing & music, and related projects, without having to also commute to and suffer through a day job.

ALSO SLEEP. Sleep is so important.

seanan_mcguire

July 19 2014, 23:19:41 UTC 2 years ago

America: where you can work yourself to death for the sake of having health care, which you'll need, because you'll have crashed your health completely.

faecat

July 16 2014, 16:52:17 UTC 2 years ago

So happy for you!! Those huge life changes can be scary, and it's always amazing when they work out even better than you hoped.

seanan_mcguire

July 19 2014, 23:19:53 UTC 2 years ago

Yes!

Deleted comment

seanan_mcguire

July 19 2014, 23:20:12 UTC 2 years ago

Sleep is just amazing. I cannot imagine going back to doing without it.

polyfrog

July 16 2014, 16:55:17 UTC 2 years ago

Often, one doesn't realize what a drain poor sleep is on everything until you get some good sleep. I'm so happy for you.

seanan_mcguire

November 19 2014, 23:32:43 UTC 2 years ago

Thank you!

wrenb

July 16 2014, 17:03:29 UTC 2 years ago

I'm so glad to hear this! We *can* function on short or uninterrupted sleep for years at a time, but life is so much better with sleep.

seanan_mcguire

November 19 2014, 23:32:53 UTC 2 years ago

Yesssssss.

beable

July 16 2014, 17:05:15 UTC 2 years ago


*in squeaky Aeslin mouse voice* Hail the passing of the Affordable Care Act!

*other mice* Hail!

catsittingstill

July 16 2014, 17:15:04 UTC 2 years ago

*"Hail! Hail! Hail!" dances joyously around the room."

dewline

2 years ago

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the_gneech

July 16 2014, 17:13:56 UTC 2 years ago

Congrats! Going on 10 months here, and it just keeps getting better!

-The Gneech

seanan_mcguire

November 19 2014, 23:33:11 UTC 2 years ago

It's amazing.

oneminutemonkey

July 16 2014, 17:26:38 UTC 2 years ago

On the bright side, you've become one of those authors who's pretty much an anthologist's dream: Dependable, popular, a Big Name, flexible and versatile, and on a first-name basis with just about all of the major players.
If George R.R. Martin and Garder Dozois haven't already started sniffing at your door, it's just a matter of time.

I know this, because I know things about how the anthology market works. I paid for my knowledge in innocence, tears, and my second best pair of pants. I hung from the tree of publishing knowledge for nine days and nine nights. :)

It is awesome that you're in a better place healthwise. That's important. :)

vixyish

July 16 2014, 23:03:02 UTC 2 years ago

Do we want to know how the anthology market cost you a pair of pants?

oneminutemonkey

2 years ago

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notalwaysweak

2 years ago

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professor

2 years ago

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oneminutemonkey

2 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

2 years ago

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dewline

July 16 2014, 17:41:27 UTC 2 years ago

*applause scheduled in a sleep-friendly way!*

seanan_mcguire

November 19 2014, 23:33:47 UTC 2 years ago

Yay!

etcet

July 16 2014, 17:42:17 UTC 2 years ago

We (speaking as fans and others who think warmly of you) are so proud of you for doing what was both scary and brave and best for yourself, and that you're seeing concrete evidence of the goodness in your quality of life is wonderful. It will be good to have you healthy and happy and around for as long as you inhabit this corporeal dimension, sharing your wondrous terrors and terrible wonders. :-)

seanan_mcguire

November 19 2014, 23:33:55 UTC 2 years ago

Thank you.

beccastareyes

July 16 2014, 17:44:11 UTC 2 years ago

Hooray!

And, yeah, stomach bugs strike us all, exhausted and healthy.

seanan_mcguire

November 19 2014, 23:34:07 UTC 2 years ago

They cannot be stopped, only endured.

vettecat

July 16 2014, 17:48:00 UTC 2 years ago

Yay! So thrilled that it's working out well for you, and that your health is improving!

seanan_mcguire

November 19 2014, 23:34:17 UTC 2 years ago

Thank you!

aiela

July 16 2014, 17:51:51 UTC 2 years ago

I'm so happy for you!

seanan_mcguire

November 19 2014, 23:34:46 UTC 2 years ago

Thank you.

Jesslyn Hendrix

July 16 2014, 17:52:12 UTC 2 years ago

Happy to hear that you're getting some rest.

On the $ front, if you need more, I'm always ready to contribute to another Tip jar and/or pay for some short stories.


...just sayin'....

seanan_mcguire

November 19 2014, 23:34:56 UTC 2 years ago

Thank you!

ebenbrooks

July 16 2014, 17:56:18 UTC 2 years ago

That is so freaking awesome. You give us hope. :)

seanan_mcguire

November 19 2014, 23:35:05 UTC 2 years ago

I am so glad.

reedrover

July 16 2014, 17:59:17 UTC 2 years ago

I am no longer losing my health to exhaustion

I almost cried. That is one of the best (and painful-as-history) things I have read today. Congratulations.

seanan_mcguire

November 19 2014, 23:35:12 UTC 2 years ago

<3

adafrog

July 16 2014, 18:30:08 UTC 2 years ago

Congrats!

seanan_mcguire

November 20 2014, 16:32:14 UTC 2 years ago

Thank you.

kriatyrr

July 16 2014, 18:46:52 UTC 2 years ago

I am so happy that things are better for you. Getting enough sleep is incredibly important - almost to the point of making the difference between existing and living.

seanan_mcguire

November 20 2014, 16:32:24 UTC 2 years ago

Seriously. It's amazing.

martianmooncrab

July 16 2014, 18:51:55 UTC 2 years ago

sleep is good...

seanan_mcguire

November 20 2014, 16:32:33 UTC 2 years ago

Sleep is the best.

phoenix_singing

July 16 2014, 18:57:09 UTC 2 years ago

Yaaaaaay! I'm so glad it's working out so well, and that you're getting your sleep and your health back! Sleep is so, so important.

Hail the arrival of the sleep! :)

seanan_mcguire

November 20 2014, 16:32:41 UTC 2 years ago

HAIL SLEEP.
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