Engaged in writing, or engaged in the world?

I was perfectly happy for that miracle year of writing where all I did was write and didn't worry about anything else. I just kept writing and writing.

Then I ventured to put a few of those words into the world, and met with a little success.  Ever since, I've been less engaged in writing, and more engaged in the world.

Can I get back to that pure writing?

Not completely.  I've broken the mold.  The world has taken hold.

I guess the trick is to try to regain some of that momentum and still be engaged, still get what I've already written polished and ready for publication.  

I think while I'm in the process of writing a first draft of anything, I need to disengage and simply write.  I've had a hard time clearing the decks for Ghostlander.  I've got the first two chapters down, but I'm hesitating to make the plunge until everything is ready.

Which isn't the way I was thinking during my miracle year.  During that year, I simply put writing above everything else.

Can I do that again?

I was aware of how unusual that was even while it was happening.  I just went with the flow.  But finally, after a year, I broke off and tried to put some of those words into the world -- and once I did that, I broke the chain.

I'm wishing I could just disengage again with the world for a year or something.  Not try to get my books into the world, but just put on blinders and write.

Unfortunately, I don't think I can do that.  I've got a small momentum in the published world, and I need to try to keep that going.   I need to try to get already written material ready for the real world.

So I'm struggling with that balance.

Just like everyone else.