Elizabeth Cobbe

Hello, peaches. How good it is to share this brief moment in time with you.

Last time, I wrote about my push to finish the draft of my current novel. I’m pleased to report that I crossed the finish line! On April 1, I sent it to my community of readers, with a real-time feedback session now scheduled for May 2.

More on my approach to finishing in another post. First, I want to sing the praises of the interregnum, that period of time between when one sends a large project out to readers (or agent or editor) and must wait for them to read and respond. It’s a time for rest and recovery. Set aside the sweeping revisions and tinkering! Let the project fall out of active memory for a brief time.

I double-checked the definition of interregnum, because who amongst us* has not misremembered a word, and sure enough, it means “any period of freedom from the usual authority” and “any pause or interruption in continuity.” Slick!

Any of us who pursue a creative ambition contend with feelings of urgency and impatience. We have only so many days given to us, and we must make all we can with each of them. As hard as it can be to let off the gas, however, it can also be good when circumstances allow us to take a scheduled break.

“Break” doesn’t have to mean spending the entire month of April doomscrolling or, worse, asking your readers if they’re done yet. “Break” can even be productive, if we set a simple intention of recovery. Just as a marathoner has rest days, so can we.

Here are places to direct one’s energy with enthusiasm during an interregnum:

• Get caught up on friends’ writing. This can mean offering a critique, or simply reading their work for pleasure.
  • I just started reading this beautiful piece of interactive fiction by Stephen Granade, Will Not Let Me Go.
  • I got to read an advance copy of a friend’s story that is set to come out later this year in Reactor Magazine, and it is fantastic. When it comes out, I’ll be shouting.
  • I am looking forward to reading an unpublished novella by my agent-sibling Ali Trotta.
  • Other pieces by friends, some of them behind paywalls:
    • P. H. Low’s “Yes / YES”.
    • V. M. Ayala’s “La Sirena’s Blessing of Belonging”
    • Rose Ciesla’s “Necromancy is an MLM”.
    • K. M. Veohongs and Ash Huang have a podcast, Thanks But Not for Me.
• Enjoy creative work of all kinds. Galleries! Theater! Concerts!
  • My interregnum has coincided with the Fusebox Festival here in Austin. While I didn’t buy tickets soon enough to catch everything I wanted to, I am looking forward to these offerings:
    • Divinatory Jukebox: The 100 Quatrains of Guan Yin
    • You Can’t Fire Your Mom
    • Katie Bender’s Instructions for a Séance
  • In March (before the interregnum so yes I’m cheating), I saw an incredible puppet show, and to call it a puppet show does not encompass everything it achieved: Robin Frohart’s Shopping Center of the Universe.
  • I’m also looking forward to seeing a friend perform next week in a new play called Take Care of My Friend. I hear reviews are great.
• Write short stories for their own sake. Arguably, one should always write short stories for their own sake, because what short story actually brings about fame and fortune, and no don’t talk to me about “Cat Person.” But there’s writing a short story that stands a reasonably good chance of getting published because you can think of stories like it or a market that buys similar pieces, and writing a short story that does something you’ve never done before and might or might not do very well (yet), and you would like to see where it leads. I’ve been exploring an approach that some people call “intuitive writing.” We’ll see what, if anything, comes out of it.
• Tend your career. An interregnum is an excellent time to write newsletter posts in advance, to research workshops and conferences, and to look for positive ways to engage with the writing community.
• Tend your body. This month is giving me time to do some strength training so my hips don’t hurt as badly from sitting in a chair for so long. Remember that strength training doesn’t have to mean buying a gym membership. You can also do some quick workouts at home. Also, consider if this is a good time to follow up on medical/dental appointments that are oh. so. hard. to make because patient portals are the worst. Need a reward for making yourself do it? Here it is, right here: I WILL BE PROUD OF YOU.
• Tend your family. It’s my family’s sports league season. Every year brings lessons for us all. Also, I cannot tell you how much I have learned about human nature while sitting in the bleachers during youth sporting events.
• Tend your community
  • Nurture friendships. Drop a note to a friend who is not a writer and listen to what’s happening in their life. Share a meal with them.
  • Look for ways to help others. Write a kind note. Give someone a ride. Quick plug for Meals on Wheels. Orientation is brief and asynchronous. If you share a route with friends, it can mean no more than a few hours’ commitment each month.
  • I often come back to this 2022 op-ed by Tish Harrison Warren, “11 Small Ways You Can Mend the World.” (gift link)
• Go outside. Nature walks! Bird watching! Trash cleanups! Gardening! Leaf rubbings!
• Practice stillness. Deliberate stillness. Meditate. Pray. Create the emptiness in which new ideas can reach the light.

Share what else you might recommend in the comments.

So that’s it! Go forth, peaches, and live out that growth mindset. Plan for your next interregnum, and look forward to discovery of all kinds.

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* It is not correct to say “whom amongst us” because “who” acts as the subject of the action. As the last woman standing who still cares deeply about who vs whom, I ask that you pretend to love grammar for as long as you remain on this page. Thank you, it means a lot.