I hate deadlines. I mean, I REALLY hate them. They make me cranky (and if you don’t believe me, ask my husband.) Writing two books a year like I am now means that I have lots of deadlines. In a year’s time, I’ll have deadlines for two complete manuscripts, two revised manuscripts, two copy-edited manuscripts, two page proofs, and two proposals if I plan on doing the same thing all over again the next year.
I’m cranky a lot.
Yet, even when I’m at my most stressed and grumpy and just wanting all my characters to die, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be making up stories for a living every morning I get up to go to work. While all my neighbors are getting up and getting dressed and fighting Dallas/Fort Worth rush hour traffic, I get up, pour a cup of copy, and go to work in my nightgown. How great is that? Then I get to spend the day lost in a world where I am Queen and all my subjects–my characters–do as I command. Well, sometimes they do as I command. I have some bossy characters every so often who just don’t like to cooperate.
In addition to that hard-to-beat perk, I am reminded of another one tonight. I’m writing this blog in a hotel room at the Seattle airport. I’ve just spent the weekend touring spots in Washington and Oregon for my current work-in-progress. I’ve played tourist and asked lots of questions of people who give me really strange looks at some point during the conversation. (Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have stopped to as questions of the hunter dressed in camo and carrying a bow and wicked-looking arrows on the road up to Mt. St. Helens, but I was thinking about killing someone and boom, there he was.)
The first seven or eight books I wrote were all Texas-set historicals. I’ve been a Texas history buff all my life, so researching those books were a joy. I never passed a museum or local bookstore without stopping. (I can hear my kids groaning in the backseat still today.) Then, I decided to broaden the settings of my books, so I took a couple trips to England and Scotland. My husband is a Golfer–the capital G is deliberate, not a typo. On our first trip to Scotland, I toured castles and he toured golf courses and he asked me why the divot I wrote all those Texas stories! You should hear the series he wants me to do: Murder at Pebble Beach, the St. Andrews Kidnaping. Death at Augusta National. Sigh.
Nightgown work attire and research vacations…no, trips…really, they’re true, honest-to-goodness research trips…make the deadlines bearable, but what makes this job the best in the world is what I get to do tomorrow. I’m visiting one of my dearest friends, another writer who I met years ago at a conference. Tomorrow I get to go to Christina Dodd’s house and check out her massage chair and wine cellar!!!
Nightgowns, research, and friends…you know what? Deadlines don’t bother me at all.
Now, I’m off to bed…it’s really late and I’m still on Texas time. I’ve just spent half an hour trying to download the pics I took of the bow hunter and bits of eye candy (Okay, the hunter was HOT) but I’m having technical issues and the Sleep Number bed is calling me. I’ll check in again tomorrow from the wine cellar! If you have any questions for me or Christina, post them here and I’ll get the scoop.
Happy reading!
Geralyn — What a great post!! It sounds like you have enjoyed your time in Seattle. I am bet you will love Christina’s massage chair!! Sit it in for an extra 15 minutes just for me
So tell us, what is the oldest wine Christina has in her cellar?
Have fun at Christina’s house, Geralyn!!
Death at August National? You know, that could be fun. You could cast suspicion on a ‘Tiger Wood-like’ pro threatened by the up and coming young athlete. You can do a lot of damage with a seven iron.
I still want to see a picture of the bow hunter!! Enjoy your time with Christina and her wine cellar.
Welcome to my side of the continent. I know you are going to enjoy your visit. I’m the same way. I love going to museums and asking questions of the old-timers when I am researching for a book. My books are, so far, all set in Oregon in the 1800’s. So a side trip or any trip to research is fun.
And, yes, working in your pj’s is the best part of this job!
Geralyn - I can relate to deadlines. Last year I had 3 back to back deadlines and I lived in my computer chair - ate breakfast and lunch at the desk. But I do agree, there’s nothing I’d rather be doing. As we speak, I’m sitting with my morning coffe, in my PJ’s, getting ready to tackle my next scene. I love Texas set books, have written many there, my in-laws being born and raised near Dallas. And I’m married to a Golfer too, but so far, no requests for Scottish proposals yet. I WON’T let him see your post!
If you send me your pic, I’ll try to upload it for you!
Ahhh, massage chair and wine! That could be downright sinful. I hope you don’t mind that I’m enjoying this vicariously. Scoot your rear over and don’t hog all the chair and pass the wine bottle! But I think the icing on the cake would be getting to spend the day with Christina. Now that would be awesome. Tell her I said hello. She won’t remember me but I’ve had many conversations with her in my head.
Isn’t research the most wonderful perk to writing? I always learn something very interesting or it makes me look at the world in a different way. Yep, this writing life is cool beans. I love the absolute freedom it brings. It’s easy to forget that though when you have a ton of pressure crushing you. Yet, it’s during those times that it’s most beneficial to sit back and count the blessings. You have a good time and for heaven’s sake don’t make that bow hunter have you arrested!
The best/worst writing year I ever had was three years ago when I completed four books and MOVED. For some reason I also attended national that year, don’t ask me why. I swore I would never take that many deadlines again.
Great post!
Golfer hubby and I do intend to get to St. Andrews…him to hit the lunks, me to hit the history. Great post. There are tons of us out herre who would love to have three or four deadlines a year LOL. You guys are blessed as well as talented.
(Gosh I can’t type. I meant HIT THE LINKS.)