Crashing after my deadline

I'm in my usual end-of-the-year slump. Like last December, I just finished a book for Osprey Publishing. This one was called Medieval Handgonnes: The First Black Powder Infantry Weapons. It was a lot of fun but a lot of work too, because until I wrote one, there was no book on Europe's first two centuries of firearms. I had to do tons of hands-on research at museums and archives.

Now I'm in a lull. I always have an energy crash after a deadline, and with no big deadlines for the next few months I can sit back, take stock, and plan out 2010. While writers need to keep up productivity and constantly look for new markets, it's also important to take some time out and reassess. The holiday season is a good time for that. It's not like publishers are going to answer your emails on Christmas Eve!

Happy Holidays everybody!