Welcome Guest Blogger Wendy Roberts!
Life in the Cracks
Most authors are familiar with writing in the cracks. Grasping moments of time, no matter how brief, to squeeze our muse onto the page.
When I first began to take my writing seriously I had four children under six years of age. I wrote between middle of the night feedings and between temper tantrums. Now that they are ages 8, 10, 12 and 14, I write between middle of the night flu episodes and teen temper tantrums. The cracks have grown because they're all in school now but life still gets in the way of writing.
These last couple weeks have been a huge trial for my crack-writing abilities. I had a December first deadline and my new book, The Remains of the Dead, came out December 4th so I’ve had promo work. Not to mention the fact that nobody in my family was in agreement to change Christmas to July in order to accommodate my busy schedule. Oh and did I mention that my kids have been plagued with a variety of flu bugs that seem to leave and return with barely a gasp between? So what’s a writer to do?
Last night, as I sponged the forehead of a feverish eight year old with my left hand and jotted notes in a notebook with my right, I realized that if I'd waited for more time to write I still wouldn't have finished my first book. The cracks of time always fill up with something so it’s your choice what you use as filler.
I have a friend who trained for a marathon in the cracks of time between being a single mom to a severely disabled son and keeping up her busy career. I know a lot of people who have received various degrees by going to school in the evenings. There are also those dedicated individuals who donate their spare time to helping the needy. So what's so important to you that you squeeze it into the cracks?
Welcome Wendy!
First off, I LOVE the title of this book -- I can't wait to read it.
What kind of research did you have to do? My husband, way before I met him, was in commercial cleaning and knew some guys who did crime scene clean-up, and it wasn't an easy job -- did you talk with those folks?
As for writing in the cracks, I am pretty spoiled as my one son is grown and out of the house, and so I pretty much just have me and my husband to watch after, and our pets. Even with that, sometimes I am challenged to find time to write -- when I had a house full of company over Thanksgiving, I couldn't even think about writing (well, I could think, but that was about it), so it's amazing to me how you get all of this done.
I read that Christine Feehan had 11 kids, and talk about writing in the cracks...
Welcome to Cigars, and I'm so happy to have you here. :)
Sam
Thrilled to be here!
For research I talked to Theresa Borst who runs Bio Clean Inc. in Seattle. The fact that a woman was running a company like this fascinated me and was the basis for my story. Talk about some gross research though!
I bet!
Mike (my Mike, not our new friend here at the blog) said he saw the guys who did that cleaning detail pretty freaked out a few times. Yet it sounds like you did a good job of finding a neat and fun twist on the book.. is there a lot of gross detail in it? I guess I should ask, seeing as I'm squeamish, LOL.
Sam
oops!
Realized I never responded to your question about gross detail in my book ... Well, there was a lot of gross research that went into the book but I tried to hold back quite a bit. I have an extremely high *yuck* factor but I try to be sensitive to the fact that other people might not want to hear all the gory details 'cause they might be reading while eating lunch, right? Still, some factors of trauma cleaning had to be mentioned for realism but since I tend to also add humor in my writing, I tried to keep the balance so the reader wasn't constantly worried about being grossed out. On the other hand when I handed in the proposal for book two in the series, my editor had to ask me to tone down one particular scene. She was totally grossed out by it so we compromised and I rewrote the scene leaving out some of the grosser elements :)
Great motivational topic!
Hi, Wendy -
When I started to take my writing seriously, I realized I had to pare down my "wish list" of things I could do. I'm lucky enough to work part time and have a super-supportive spouse so I have a good chunk of time each day to write. But things really took off when I made the following things my priority:
Writing
Feeding the fam
Working PT job
Everything else gets squeezed into the cracks. IMHO, that's where house-cleaning belongs. But life still intrudes (holidays...gasp...must get air) so I really try to protect my writing time. I'm unpublished, but I treat myself like a professional writer, because that's what I'm going to be.
DH says I'm obsessed. I'm not denying it...but I'm not signing up for any twelve-step programs, either. ;)
Margaret
Thanks!
I love your priority list! More people should have lists like that.
Welcome, Wendy!
Hi Wendy, and welcome to Cigars! I agree with Sam; your title is great! After reading the synopsis for this book, it's one I'm definitely going to buy.
I'm a between-the-cracks writer, too. Between a full-time job and a family...well, let's just say my kids eat a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches, and have learned to do their own laundry, etc. I'm all theirs from the time I get home until 7:30 or so in the evening, but after that, they know to leave me alone with my laptop. The holidays and a busy sports schedule are causing me stress, but if I can just squeeze in a couple of writing hours each day, I'm good.
I hear you
All those sport schedules can really eat at your time! With four kids, I feel your pain.
Usually I give myself a couple weeks off during the holidays because otherwise I get the guilts for not doing enough writing. However, even when I'm not really writing I'm writing lol. This month I'm researching book three in the series. Tonight I'm heading down to Seattle for research (the series is set in Seattle) and I'll also be doing a signing at the Seattle Mystery Bookshop noon Saturday (come down if you get a chance Seattleites!). So even though this is a non-writing week it's still a writing week ;-)
Great post
I'm a writing in the cracks person myself with a full time job and two young children. Your message about deciding what you will use to fill any free time is spot on. My issue is a lack of confidence due to my limited experience, convinced that anything I write just isn't good enough. Did you suffer from this while working on your first book as well? If so, how did you get by it?
Mike
You bet!
Oh Mike those self-doubt demons will follow you onto the NYT list lol! Your 'limited experience' will change the more you write. Write lots and write often! Every time I'm working on a book I'm convinced I'm in love with it and then I quickly fall out of love and hate it...I become convinced it's the worst thing I've ever written! Once you've written your first manuscript, you may want to try and find a critique group and also join writing organizations like RWA or MWA. You'll find you're not alone! Good luck!
WOW! You've read my mind
Wendy -- so true. As I'm writing this with a toddler in my lap and the dishwasher going and laundry working I realize that women just know how to multitask. We just get it done. Whatever it is that needs to be done. I made a commitment to how much work I would do around the house as a stay at home writing mom. Everything else completely falls by the wayside. I try to write, entertain my son, take the dog for a walk and get dinner on the table - everything else is gravey. The floors will just have to mop themselves...
Molly O'Keefe
Harlequin Superromance
Baby Makes Three 11/07 RT TOP PICK!!
A Man Worth Keeping 04/08
Hey!
I take exception with that...perhaps because I'm the only guy here, but I think it's more being a good parent that brings out the multi-tasker in us more than being a man or woman. :-)
Mike
You're both right!
I find most often writers (men and women) take on work (household, children or other) and will fill all their so-called spare time multi-tasking chores and constantly pushing their writing aside. You don't have to be published to set your writing time as a priority! I struggled with that too though.
I'm not a writer but they
I'm not a writer but they say you some how find or make the time for things that are important. I've heard people say they don't have time to read which to me is just a crazy statement. Even if I have to stay up 'til 3 in the morning, I make sure I get to read every day. Your book sounds like a wonderful read!!
I know!
I was looking through a quilting magazine the other day, and a woman in one of the articles said she didn't like to read because she liked to use her time to get too many other things done -- as if reading something isn't getting something done? Also, kinda ironic she was saying this within a *magazine article* ROTFL...
I don't get it...
Sam
You and me both!
I absolutely have to read every day, especially before bed. My bedside table looks like a mini library LOL. When I first started writing my husband said, "well maybe you can make enough money to pay for all the books you buy." I'm not quite there yet ;-)
And I don't get the "I don't have time to read"...to me that's crazy talk lol. What's even crazier is when people tell me they think they want to write a book and I ask what kind of books they like to read and they reply "Oh, I don't have time to read." Um. Then how the heck would you have time to write?! =:-O
Bwahahahaha
That's a good one -- especially given what writers such as yourself do to be able to write -- and look what gets accomplished! It comes down to that definition of a writer as someone who writes -- not someone who just thinks about it. :>
Sam
Same here
I hear you. I have books scattered all over the house in places where I might have a few minutes to read a page or two. I just don't get those people who say, "Oh, I never read.", and wear it like a badge of honor. It boggles my mind.
Mike
mixing up genres
So The Remains of the Dead is a cross-genre book. It's considered a mystery with paranormal and romantic elements. When I set out to write a book, I don't keep genre in mind because I think it holds me back but I usually end up mixing a bunch of genres together. For those of you who write, do you write specifically for one genre? And when you read, do you read mostly within one genre?
Wendy
I read in different genres, mostly paranormal, mystery, thrillers/suspense, and romance, and some nonfiction, but not much anymore (after years of academic reading, I'm sort of burnt out on the learning, I just want fun... ;).
But trying to write in different genres has been a challenge. I have written the sexy romance for Blaze, and I've been trying to write more classic stuff for Superromance, though it's probably still going to have a little more heat to it than a typical Super (if they sell), and I'm also working on a paranormal romance at the moment. People around here have heard me talking about this for about twenty years now, LOL, it's taking me a while, because there was a real learning curve, and I think I'm almost done with the proposal, so here's hoping... Untouched was my sorta paranormal Blaze, and it was a turning point for me in thinking about what I wanted to write -- I love paranormal -- though to be honest, I have writing ADD and I think I'll always need to switch things up or I get bored...
Sam
ME TOO
I'm not a writer either, but I always make sure to read. It just calms me down and helps me to unwind. A few years ago I was very sick and had to make several trips to the Cleveland Clinic. Sometimes I would be hooked up to all kinds of weird things and reading was about all I could do. It really made the time go by and actually brought me happiness at a not so happy time. Needless to say, I still have this condition, but it's treatable to an extent, but when I am in loads of pain and can't do much, reading is my escape, that I wouldn't give up for the world.
The other thing I always try to squeeze in, is alittle time snuggled up with my son at night, reading books together. He doesn't care for reading a whole lot yet (he's 8), but he loves when mommy lays with him and we take turns reading. I hope despite my shortcomings, he will always remember this time.
That book looks so cool!! I love the title too and it reminds me of Ghost Hunters..woohoo!!
Amazing, Wendy!
I'm always in awe of you and other moms who also "happen" to write! Thank you for cramming that into your cracks!
I fill my cracks with reading, and the bigger the cracks, the more or longer books :)
Will the cracks really get bigger? My oldest is 7, and it seems like for now what takes up my time has changed but not necessarily started taking less time... something to look forward to maybe? ;)
Can't wait to read your new
Can't wait to read your new book!
I squeeze reading in wherever I can.
Gaps? What Gaps?
Fedora, I don't know if the gaps actually get bigger for a looong time. My kids are 8, 10, 12 & 14 and, yes, they're at school but I seem to spend a lot more time carting them places now than I ever did when they were younger so I've lost a lot of weekend and evening time!
Estella, I'm glad you squeeze reading in and I hope you manage to squeeze in Remains of the Dead :)
Confession time ... I once left a wedding reception in the middle of the speeches to read my paperbook in a bathroom stall ;-)
Ah...
Oh well, that's part of life, isn't it? (Carting one's kids around, that is...) That's OK--as long as the cracks don't get too much smaller ;)
And hmm... excellent reminder for me to make sure to carry my reading around with me to take best advantage of all the possible cracks that appear (or that we make!)
Thanks, Wendy!
I have always said that moms
I have always said that moms and authors are my rock stars...and you just provided even more evidence of why! Writers who are moms and those who also have seperate careers amaze me...and those that do both...wow! And the loving and caring moms just rock!
As for me, I try to squeeze reading/making a dent in the TBR Mountain into my cracks.
I hope the little one is feeling better.
Squeezing in Time
You are amazing at squeezing in the time to write a book within your hectic schedule of raising kids! That is a feat in itself! I sure hope your kids feel better real soon!
I try to prioritize my schedule. The things that I hate to do always get done first. That way when I have to do the things I love to do, I am in a better mood to do them. I schedule time for my favorite blogs, editing reviews, scrapbooking, making cards, etc. Life needs to be fun! We shouldn't have to work hard all the time!