August 6, 2023
I get this a lot lately.
Years ago, I mastered the skill of juggling. I learned how through a book called "Juggling for the Complete Klutz," by John Cassidy and B. C. Rimbeaux (it's still in print, with 3 + million sold to those of us who are still klutzes but now can juggle to offset our clumsiness). Incidentally, the first lesson you learn how to do is to take your aerodynamically correct bean bags that came with the book, throw them into the air, and let them fall to the floor. That is called a drop. You will do it often, so you might as well get used to it! After reading the book for the first five minutes, I grasped this step with relative ease.
The book goes through the steps to success, and after dropping the bean bags more times than I caught them, it finally clicked. I was happily entertaining anyone who wanted to watch me juggle. And I was good at it, but it took practice. I could also juggle two bean bags in one hand. That was fun to do! Soon, I graduated from the floral and red cloth bags shown above to Koosh Balls (remember those?). They were so easy to juggle, and since they always came in neon colors, they gave my so-called act a significant boost.
The thing about juggling (and learning how to do anything you haven't done before) is that people get tired of your act. I found myself juggling in front of friends who hadn't seen me juggle, but soon, I had exhausted my audience. I was a "One Trick Pony," just like Paul Simon used to sing about. Everyone wanted to know if I could juggle more than three beanbags. The natural progression is five bean bags because four depend on a different technique that the book did not detail. So, I tried to juggle more, but I never could equal the same success. Do I still juggle today? Absolutely! Just give me three equal-in-size items that aren't chainsaws, flaming torches, or bowling balls, and once I get warmed up, I'll drop them just like the pro I've always been!
My writing these days is a lot like my juggling skill. People ask me about my next book. Oh, I have more! I didn't write the Great American Novel for all the years I did without having other side projects. My lofty goal is for Summer Solstice to be part of a four-book series (using the seasons in the titles). So for those who want to know, there is an Autumn Equinox, Spring Break, and a hitherto unwritten Winter Solstice. All three books are in various stages of development, with the fall book closest to being finished. None of these is a sequel to Summer Solstice, but they all have a common thread: they are based in the same fictional Georgia town (so Beth and Rick may make a cameo) and are Christian-based stories. Unfortunately, I'm not ready to publish any of them.
Meanwhile, what will satisfy my loyal readers? Now, I can learn how to juggle bowling pins (they aren't as dangerous as daggers or sabers, but I could start with butter knives and work my way up). Or...I could write a NOVELLA! That's right! Another book is on its way.
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