August Chaos and Whining

Every year of my adult life the middle of August is filled with days of chaos. My past included a few years of coaching and the preseason starts two weeks before Labor Day. Preseason practices entail multiple workout sessions each day, usually morning and evening, and when my sons played football that sometimes meant ‘three-a-days.’


These days I’m no longer involved in coaching and I only have one child playing a sport this year but there’s still enough chaos and disruption to go around. For the past seven years August has also meant the packing up and sending off of a child to college. For those of you who haven’t gone through that yet, don’t worry about crying when they leave. You cry trying to get everything together they need to live on their own. Teenagers obviously think shampoo just appears in the shower when you need it let alone something as mundane as toilet paper. They also have to learn, this means you have to do it, things take up less room when packed neatly. All this involves numerous trips to the store to get all the things they don’t think they’ll need but you know they will. It also includes buying a lot of things you hope they’ll use but they probably won’t. Things like Lysol kitchen and bathroom wipes, shower cleaners and fabric softeners.

Beyond the trips running the one athlete I have still competing are the three inservice days I must attend before actual school starts. And hanging over all the busy, not entirely unpleasant hustle, is the dread of another year of school.

School means the end of sleeping in an extra hour, staying up as late as I wish when the writing bug keeps me at the keyboard and the impossibility of a cup of coffee whenever I want it. It means my writing hours have been cut into a fraction of what they were during the summer months. It means fewer website and blog updates.  Every year I dread August more than the one before. Every year I wish I could leave teaching behind and work full time on my writing. But this year is not the year.

For at least two or three more years, I must hold onto the day job and write into the late night and in moments snatched from my family time. I must whip out pieces of scenes between loads of laundry and preparing meals. How I envy those who can not only write full time but have the kids all in school while they’re doing it. I know from how much I write during the last six weeks how much I can accomplish when I don’t have to work another job eight hours a day. The prohibitive cost of tuition and the state of the economy disallows any thought of early retirement or trying to live on my husband’s income alone until I make enough writing to replace my teaching salary. I love teaching and enjoy spending all those hours with teenagers though there are many other parts of the profession I despise. But I want to stay home and write or better yet, go to my favorite coffee shop and write.

Sorry for all the whining today but what about you? Would you give up your day job to write full time if you could? Would you be brave enough to dare it if you weren’t making money yet? Do you know many authors who actually support their family with their writing income?

I'm Calling it Research

I've been on a real writing roll the last four weeks and it has slowed down a little but I still hope to have the rough draft done by the end of August on the second book in my latest fantasy series.  I could make lots of excuses for why the fingers are hitting the keys less often but I have to admit.  I've just stumbled on too many good books.
The new library in town started the problem with their grand opening a little over a week ago.  I've been a fan of the collaborative team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child for years.  The hero in their suspense series, Agent Pendergast, is one cool operator.  Both these authors also write suspense on their own but I've never read any of their individual titles.  The library had one from each of them so I couldn't resist.  I like them together more than separate but it was interesting to read their solo books and try to guess how their team works and who contributes what.
I also picked up a book I've been thinking of reading but would never buy because I wasn't sure I would like it and it's a thick book.  The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is historical literary fiction.  I read nearly two hundred pages before I decided if I intended to finish.  It was lovely and I'm going to get the sequel one day soon.
To completely freeze my writing progress, my wonderful sister from Picayune, Mississippi visited me.  She belongs to a book club and always has a few thick hardbacks with her she doesn't want to carry back home.  Usually it's because of the weight but she drove this trip so I'm not sure why she left them with me.  Unfortunately for my WIP she and I share similar tastes in reading material.  The Passage by Justin Cronin, another very long book, completely captivated me.  Two late nights until two AM and one day of letting my family starve and I finished it.  The other book she left me, Under The Dome by Stephen King hasn't grabbed me with that "can't put it down" feeling is still a very interesting book.  Does anyone write dark characters better than king?
Jonathan Maberry's Ghost Road Blues kept me up late one night to finish only to figure out with two chapters to go it was the first book of a series.  Checked today and my local Borders had it and the third book. 
Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mystery series also has me intrigued.  I really want the next one but I'm resisting. 
So today I'm catching up with my friends' blogs, writing a little and hoping to get back in the computer chair.  I'm not buying any more books, not even going into the library and resisting my daughter's pleas to read one of her books. 
So I'm calling my last six or seven days research rather than indulgence in my favorite pastime.  What author do you put everything aside to read? 

Versatile

Thanks to my good friend, Natalie.  She's awarded me the Versatile Blogger award.  I'm not sure I deserve it but amatuer bloggers like me lap up any recognition we get from someone who keeps a great content blog like Natalie's Indulge Yourself.
As recipient of this award, I must do a few things.  I must thank the giving, pass it on to up to 15 bloggers as well as link to them and let them know they're getting it, and tell you seven things about myself.
So here are my seven things:
1. I grew up on a dairy farm and got up at 4 am most mornings.  Now I hate getting up early.
2. I never watch any reality TV shows or contest shows.  I've never seen American Idol.
3. I broke my ankle when I was running once and continued to run the three miles to home, taught aerobics that night and went to the doctor two days later because I couldn't understand why it kept getting worse.
4. I own three different versions of Pride and Prejudice.
5. I love baking bread and would do it every day if I had the time.
6. I can drink coffee, iced or hot, all day long and have no trouble sleeping at night.
7. I rearrange my office every time I complete a new manuscript. 

Now for my friends I hope you'll visit and comment on their blogs.
Cate Masters
Jemi Fraser
Jon Sprunk

Because Natalie and I share so many friends I'm going to pass this away on to only a few.  Hope you'll visit them.

Coming Up For a Breath of Air

It happens to all writers.  You get so involved in your WIP you can't pull yourself away to attend any of the other 'chores' being a writer involves.  For the past four days I went on a series roll with my second book in the new YA series I'm writing.  I knew exactly where the story was going and even had trouble sleeping at night as scenes played out in my thoughts.  I woke up each morning determined to record those plot twists and dialogues I'd thought of before falling to sleep.
I cooked meals for my family, checked some email, exercised a little, but for most of my waking hours I sat at the keyboard and zoomed through a new 12K of manuscript.  It may have been the most I ever wrote in such a short period of time.  I don't know if I can keep up that pace this week but I'm already anxious to get back to it. 
However I really can't cease all contact with my writing friends.  I haven't visited another blog for days and I really enjoy and learn from the friends I've made here the blog world.  I'm sure my FB page is back-logged with requests and event announcements I've missed.  So I'm going to do a little catch up and then it's back to the book.
Have you ever been so in the zone with a writing project you couldn't leave it to do any other writing work?  What is the best word count you've had for a day, a week, a month? 

Bookstore Personalities

Every book store I frequent has certain characteristics that keep me coming back.  For one of them it's simple geographic location. For another one, it's the quantity of books on the shelves.  For the two independent stores I frequent, it's the warmth of the people running the store and an aura of true love for the written word.

Yesterday I was the privileged guest of the Borders Bookstore at the Lycoming Mall in Williamsport, PA where I signed copies of The Keepers of Sulbreth.  Joyce Rupert, host extraordinaire, had my signing posted on their events calenders, printed and online, had posters at both entrances to the store and had ordered a LARGE number of  my books for me to sign.  As you can see from the picture, they had a large table set up for me with a beautiful Borders cloth covering it, a comfortable chair and those clever little plastic gadgets to display my books.
Not only was Joyce helpful and friendly, but every worker in the store made me feel welcome and many stopped to speak with me.  Now let me tell you about location.
Many authors had horror stories of a signing table set in the back of the store, by the bathroom, or some other quirky spot in a store where no one will ever see them. I wasn't in the back of the store  because this store had NO back. It is set in a mall where the one entrance is to the parking lot and the other is into the enclosed mall concourse.  The store has an aisle set up from one entrance to the other, lined with displays.  And yesterday my books and I shared that prime selling place with those racks and tables of best-sellers. Nearly every person entering the store passed by my table, many of whom were only using Borders as a convenient way to enter the mall.  It was wonderful.
On one side of my table was a display of the newest hardback releases and across the aisle from me was the large table of newest mass market releases.  Many of my sales came from people searching that table for a read. On my other side was the information desk, constantly manned and constantly busy. 
The store had a constant flow of customers and I had few moments of standing by myself.  Some people stopped to talk about writing, about our favorite fantasy books, about their college plans, about their lives and the world of books.  One aspiring writer is a temporary resident of the area as he does his time as the local army recruiter.  I wish Sergeant Aleman the best of luck and hope he stays save in his next tour. 
I consider yesterday's signing as my most successful event.  Not because I sold the most books ever but because I sold them all to strangers.  Not one family member, friend or fellow writing group member were among my customers.  I love those people for their support but I'll never know for sure they purchased my book purely for its entertainment value.  Yesterday every person who bought my book wanted it for its own merits.  It was a wonderful feeling.
I sold half the books Joyce had ordered for the event and she assured me I did better than anyone they'd recently had for an event.  So even though I didn't sell out like I did at three previous events, I was thrilled with the day.  She invited me back and I'll certainly plan on doing another event. My only regret is I don't live closer to this particular Borders.  They have a large cafe and a very efficient staff.
To top off a great day and keep me alert on the two hour drive home, I visited the Auntie Anne's pretzel store and bought an original recipe pretzel.  So many people walked through the store carrying one, my stomach was growling. 
Do you have any tales of best and worst book signings?

Here I Come, Williamsport

This Saturday from 1-3, I'll being signing copies of The Keepers of Sulbreth at the Borders Store located at the Lycoming Mall in Williamsport, PA.  This is exciting for me because it's the closest Borders to where I grew up. 

Williamsport is a rather big town and the last time I was to the Lycoming Mall it was really busy so I'm hoping for a big crowd.  I owe this signing completely to my writers' group, Pennwriters.  They send out a newsletter to book sellers promoting their published authors works.  The event organizer at this Borders contacted me after she saw my book in the Pennwriters Newsletter.  Thanks, PW!
So if you're in the area, please stop by and say hello even if you don't want to read my book or have already purchased it.
Does your writers' group do anything like this to help their members?

Writing in the Cafe

For the last few weeks I’ve been working on edits for Book #4 of The Futhark Chronicles, Children of Futhark. I won’t go into the process except for one thing. Why is it I can get more accomplished while sitting in my favorite coffee shop than I can while sitting in my office at home?


Surely there are more distractions sitting in the Seattle’s Best Café in my local Borders than there is in my small carpeted room at my writing desk at home? Today there were only a handful of people present but two of the men knew each other and talked long and loud about their stocks. One lady sitting by herself shared her cell phone conversation with half the store. We only heard one side of it and believe me, it wasn’t worth sharing. Behind me an older man was trying to impress a younger woman with his knowledge of travel in Europe and grad school.

The kind lady working behind the counter made some really long announcements into the store PA system about their specials for the day. She refilled the ice machine to much clanging and of course she had to grind coffee for someone. Yet I accomplished so much. Why?

Despite all these distractions, they were still less than those I get at home. Even when I’m home alone (very seldom happens), I feel the pressure of the dirty laundry, the long-ignored bathrooms, the weed-filled flower beds and my love of baking. Few are the days when I indulge in more than an hour of uninterrupted writing time. I’m always hoping up to work on another chore. I love multi-tasking and can’t seem to refrain from it even when I really want to concentrate on my writing.

So I pack up my computer and drive the ten minutes to my local Borders, buy an over-priced latte and work. My goal is to make this trip at least every third day over the next two weeks and get the rest of the edits done. Then I’ll need a few hours to recheck the formatting, write up a brief synopsis and then send it off to my publisher by the end of the month.

How about you? Is there a place where you find the peace needed to write? Is it home or elsewhere? Are coffee shops distracting or relaxing to you?