On December 12th, Bob and I and our dog, Sirius, will be headed out for a two-year adventure aboard our catamaran sailboat, Prelude. Over the next few years, we’ll be making our way up and down the eastern seaboard, stopping from time to time to spend a few days in cities and towns, and taking a few breaks to travel. This year, we’ll 
be spending a month exploring Japan, and I’ll be headed back to Europe in March for the Paris book fair and possibly the Leipzig fair in Germany.
Our boat is my Zen writing place, and the ocean is inspiration for many of my stories, including my latest series, Coastal Carolina. But writing full-time is something that’s also frightening, especially with the current upheaval in publishing. I plan on dipping my toes back into the self-publishing world, and playing around with a few non-traditional publishing models. More about that at a later date.
The idea of quitting my job and writing full-time has always felt like a dream, but now that it’s almost here, I’m reminded of how difficult it is to focus when you have all the time in the world. There’s something to be said for the monotony of a daily job and finding time to write. When time is a precious commodity, it’s easier to focus—if you don’t, you lose the moment and you stagnate.
Last year, I wrote a novel during November’s NaNoWriMo. I wrote every minute I could: at lunch while I was at work, in the evening while dinner was cooking, and after dinner until bedtime. This year, I’ve got too many other things to think about to focus on something other than wrapping up my life before we head out on the water. But knowing that I managed to write a book with so little free time makes me wonder how well I’ll handle having as much of free time as I can handle.
How do you focus when you don’t have to? Honestly, I’m not sure. I’m not a big planner, but I figure I’ll need to become a better one. Even if it’s diligently spending a few hours a day working on my WIPs or edits, I’ll need to create that focus so I can keep doing what I love (and hopefully more of it than I’ve been able to in the past)?
I’ll be checking back in with updates on new projects and adventures on the water. The ocean isn’t always calm, and I don’t expect my new life to be either. Life is an adventure filled with sometimes with fear and sometimes with joy. It’s up to us to make the best of it! -Shira
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Shira Anthony was a professional opera singer in her last incarnation, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, i Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle. You can hear Shira singing “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s Tosca by clicking here: Shira’s Singing
Shira loves a great happily-ever-after and never writes a story without one. She’s happy to write what her muse tells her, whether it’s fantasy, sci fi, paranormal, or contemporary romance. She particularly loves writing series, because she thinks of her characters as old friends and she wants to visit them even after their stories are told.
In real life, Shira sang professionally for 14 years, and she currently works as a public sector attorney advocating for children. She’s happy to have made writing her second full-time job, even if it means she rarely has time to watch TV or go to the movies. Shira writes about the things she knows and loves, whether it’s music and musicians, the ocean, or the places she’s lived or traveled to. She spent her middle school years living in France, and tries to visit as often as she can.
Shira and her husband spend as many weekends as they can aboard their 36′ catamaran sailboat, Land’s Zen, at the Carolina Coast. Not only has sailing inspired her to write about pirates and mermen, her sailboat is her favorite place to write. And although the only mermen she’s found to date are in her own imagination, she keeps a sharp lookout for them when she’s on the water.
I remember talking to you when this was a far off dream. I can’t believe it’s about to happen. So happy for you. As for writing full time, that won’t be a problem for you. You’ve been wonderfully successful at everything else you’ve put your mind to. This won’t be any different.
I wish you and Bob (and Sirius) all the best. ‘lil q is sad she won’t get to stay with you or Sirius again, but she’ll always have those memories. Enjoy this new adventure. You’ve earned it. 🙂
Andrew