Sandstone Press

Lull before the storm

Posted by Simon Varwell on 17th November 2009

In less than three months, I have a book published.  In less than a week, I get married.

I am sure I should be busy this evening with details for one, if not both; but find myself instead in a lull before the storm, dwelling on this particularly momentous time in my life.  Either event alone would be a life-changing milestone (that’s milestone, not millstone), so it’s been doubly strange and doubly exciting to face the build-up to both, more or less over the same time period. 

One has involved the spark of something new, something wonderful; the forging of a new relationship, the need to focus, compromise, learn and share, being at once spontaneous and dedicated, tempering the excitement and anticipation of a new life with the need for colossal patience and attention to detail.

The wedding planning has been huge fun too.

Seriously, though.  At the start of 2009, I had no idea either event would happen; now, both are imminent.

Both have seen a wild and carefree idea turn into something massive that needs serious commitment.  Both have reminded me what’s important in life.  Both will turn me into something I’ve never been before - a published author and a husband.  Both might involve regularly signing things.  Both are great privileges to be a part of.  Both are a little bit scary, if I am honest.

But to call them both events is wrong.  To suggest that they will merely change me from one thing to another on one particular day is to downplay them both.  Both are actually processes - the continuation of something and the start of something else, and certainly not the end of anything.  With both, in some senses, the hard work starts now.  As do the real fun, rewards and new opportunities.

It’ll be a fun couple of journeys, parallel but no doubt occasionally overlapping.  I’ll blog here with regularity about the book publishing journey; the marriage journey, much less so, if ever.  The book, after all, is entirely my own story to tell - marriage is not.

Though marriage will by far be the more wonderful, all-encompassing, life-affirming of the two processes, and the one I am most looking forward to.

No apologies to Sandstone Press, who I am sure are willing to come second in this contest.  And no apologies to you, dear reader, for leaving you with only the lesser excitement to read about.