The Other Side
10/27/16
FEC vs Taxol. No contest!
I started off on three rounds of FEC and its pretty simple to sum it all up in a word. Revolting. By the last round I honestly thought it wa
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*Note this blog post is really for people on chemo
I started off on three rounds of FEC and its pretty simple to sum it all up in a word. Revolting. By the last round I honestly thought it was better to die. Well almost. For at least 8 days I was the walking dead. In truth the physical symptoms were bearable (sore mouth, rough throat, hair loss, mild headache, nausea for a few days but manageable).
For me it was the emotional shut down. I felt as if my entire world had collapsed into a 30cm radius that. I didn't want to talk, walk, eat, speak, look, move. I didn't want to be asleep, be awake, be consoled, be entertained. I didn't want to read, watch movies. I basically just wanted to sit and stare at the wall for hours and hours.
My mind was void, empty and meaningless. But because my entire body was poisoned the world felt ugly too.
But the truth is that after about 8 days the fog would lift. Chemo brain? I had a vague amount but not really noticeable.
I was incredibly nervous to start Taxol after those last 9 weeks. I researched and read every possible nuance of what could happen. On the day I braced for an allergic reaction. I was so nervous in fact that I was violently nauseas. Nothing happened. Nor the next day, nor any days after that. I did not sleep all day due to the antihistamine shot. I was fine and perky and stayed up till 9pm.
The only reaction was to the steroids administered. I was a maniac on hyperspeed for a week. I talked fast, raced around, did a million things, picked fights, cried, laughed and then collapsed in a heap at around 7pm. The first week that lasted almost until Saturday (Day 6). The second week the dose reduced and I ran out of the fuel by Thursday. Week 3 it was quartered and I didn't really notice hyperspeed much.
Other than that (and diarhoea, more hair loss and eyebrows and eyelashes now gone) Taxol has been a breeze. No contest.
What are publishers looking for this year?
Once again, we turn our attention to the publishing market and the trends shaping the upcoming cycle. For authors, understanding what readers are buying is invaluable—particularly in non-fiction, which must tap into the mood of the times. That said, a book can also spark a global trend, unleashing a new concept and capturing imaginations in unexpected ways. The “Let Them Theory,” for example, demonstrates the power of fresh ideas, amplified by podcasters, social media, and celebrity influence.
Should you plan or just write?
Should you plan a book? In my view, there is only one answer: yes. If you want to publish, writing with intent matters.
In non-fiction, planning is especially critical. You will know exactly what belongs in your book, how the chapters build, and what material sits where. That outline becomes your proposal and, later, your compass for the entire manuscript.
Many writers assume novels are different. They aren’t. In fiction, your plan becomes your plot.
