There’s a
saying about women “slaving over a hot stove”. They’ve worked hard to provide
meals for a hungry family. It was also said because they’d worked hard all day
to keep things going.
Well, I’m
talking about slaving away over a hot computer. I’ve always said that I’ve
never had as much fun as when I’m writing, but I tend to leave out the part
about it being hard work.
Some writers
are prolific and crank out books frequently. That doesn’t mean each book wasn’t
a lot of work. It means they’ve got it together and they’re probably pretty
organized, and maybe they’re a lot smarter than someone like me. (I’m smiling
when I say that.)
A few writers
have commented on life getting in the way of writing time. It happens. In the
meantime, that Work in Progress (WIP) sits and waits for the story creator to
get back to it. In my case, my house is for sale and I’m spending a lot of time
packing, cleaning, and working on my yard. Oh, and I can’t forget about the
garage. It’s a three-car, boat deep garage and it’s jam packed with stuff.
Gotta love “stuff”. Of course, the dogs want a lot of attention, too.
Frankly, I
can’t wait to get back to my current WIP. And reading. Oh, how I miss reading.
I have very little time for that lately, too. Maybe when I move things will get
back to normal – whatever normal is.
I know that
some people write as a hobby, or they have only one book they want to get out
of their system. That’s good and their book is a worthy project, but there are
others who are writing as a career. As a career, the author has to not only
create a good story, but they have to market, promote, try to come up with some
unique ideas to get their names out there, and hope people enjoy what they’re
offering. While they’re doing all of these things, that hot ol’ computer is
sitting patiently, waiting for them to return and put in some long hours.
I have a
wonderful friend (and you know who you are) who does everything she can to
promote my books. Everything she does makes me feel like I’m doing something
worthwhile. She wouldn’t go to great lengths if she didn’t like my writing. We
all need a friend like this who cares so much.
Shout it from the rooftops
Word-of-mouth
is the best advertising. When you read a book that you enjoy, stop and remember
that the author has put a lot of hard work into her/his story or you wouldn’t
be thinking what a great book it is. Tell a friend. Tell two friends. Three is even better, and hopefully they’ll read the
book you recommend and tell their other friends.
Okay, let me tell a friend. Right now I’m reading “The Silver Sleigh” by Dorothy Bodoin. I’m also reading “Murder Run” by Shelly
Frome. It’s slow going because of my current busy life, but I’m enjoying both
of them. I hope I reach a point where I can simply sit down and read to my
heart’s content.
Hmm. That’s
it for this week. I simply wanted to remind readers that a book doesn’t just
happen. It requires hard work.
Have you read
a good book lately? Did you happen to think of what it took for the author to
produce this piece of entertainment? Have you ever wondered about the process?
Think about it – and then tell a friend about the great book you just finished.
Until next
week, I hope you have the reading time you desire and that you make the best of
it.
CLICK HERE to
visit Marja McGraw’s website
CLICK HERE
for a quick trip to Amazon.com
Remember, you
can ask for specific books at your favorite bookstore if they don’t carry what
you want. Just an afterthought.
I understand the feeling and I'm not preparing to move.
ReplyDeleteAnything can set it off, Marilyn. You have one of the busiest lives I know of, and I don't know how you do it all. Thank you for stopping in today!
DeleteI understand your predicament also, Marja, and admire you for all that you do. I've been reading old favorites lately (Agatha Christie, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Margery Allingham and Dorothy L. Sayers) and plan to write a blog about them--eventually. Of course, that doesn't help all the wonderful new authors I've discovered in recent years but I do plan to write a blog around them also.
ReplyDeleteI, too, admire you, Pat. You've been through a lot over the past few years and you've persevered. That's a sign of a good author and person. Thank you so much for stopping in today
DeleteLife does have a way of interfering with the things you really want to do. I've read a few really good books lately, among them The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde -- which then had me pulling out my copy of Jane Eyre for a reread -- and Bitter Harvest by Sheila Connolly. I liked the non-murder aspect of the latter, as well as the two intertwining mysteries.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found some books that you enjoyed and that took you away for a while, Heather. Those authors worked hard to entertain you and I'm glad you found them. Thank you so much for stopping in!
DeleteI've read the Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde and was amazed at his creativity and imagination.
DeleteAin't it the truth! Sometimes life is so backed up, you lose track of the thread that would have worked so well.
ReplyDeleteIt's best to get out of town, a retreat, when you can.
Great advice, Dac! I wish we all had a retreat to escape to once in a while. Thank you so much for stopping in!
DeleteMarja,
ReplyDeleteHow true! Writing is hard work and, sometimes, "Life" gets in the way of writing. Very frustrating. I know what you've been going through and my situation, while a bit different, has some similarities. I've been trying to get my mother's house ready to sell (it goes on the market Friday) and, between that and all the other responsibilities I have, my writing time suffers. I'm doing what I can but, like you, I look forward to things returning to "normal."
One thing I "try" to remember is that, without "life," we'd have nothing to write about. LOL
I admire you, too, Pat. You've had your hands full for some time now, and you've handled it well and continued to write. Best wishes for the house selling and life getting back to normal, such as normal is. : ) Thank you so much for stopping in!
DeleteI'm also in the process of readying our home for sale while getting in a little writing time instead of watching TV, a difficult choice with all the new programming happening now. Reading, my favorite pasttime, has nearly fallen by the wayside.
ReplyDeleteYou're another author who's had life getting in the way, Jean, and as with the two Pats, I admire what you've done. I hope we both get back to having more reading time. Thank you so much for stopping in!
DeleteMarja, As we say in my new hometown of Black Mountain, "Bless your heart." And thanks for mentioning my latest effort. I, of course, truly know what you're going through. The strange thing was, the more I tried to recover and literally move on (selling the house, etc.) the more I was storing up until one day I hit the computer again and the novel you're now reading began to pour out. Not as some personal catharsis but as an entirely new venture of pure fiction. Thanks for writing this. All the best. Shelly
ReplyDeleteI know you've had some major life changes, too, Shelly. You've handled things well, and I admire you, too. I hope I can reach the point you did before long. I'm enjoying your book, but wish I had more reading time so I could just sit and read it. Thank you so much for stopping in!
DeleteI never really thought about the hard work authors put into writing their novels until I stared writing my own. Now, when I read someone else's novel, I can't help but appreciate all the work that went into it. Sigh! I've been having some health problems lately.It has really affected my writing time, and I've let my blog go, too. As they say, "If it's not one thing, it's another. It's always something." Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get another novel written.
ReplyDeleteEvelyn, I'm so sorry to hear you've been having health problems. I hope it's something that will clear up soon. Your books truly entertain me and I hope you can get back to it. Thinking of you!
DeleteAh, but it's the kind of work we enjoy.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, Jim, it's the most fun some of us have ever had on a job. Thank you so much for stopping in!
DeleteI'm taking a short break from writing and reveling in it. I even had the time to take a hike yesterday. But soon it will be back to that hot ole computer.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear it, Lesley, because I sure do enjoy your books. Thank you so much for stopping in!
DeleteLooking forward to you having time to finish WIP and do some enjoyable reading. We readers have a duty to promote authors and books we know will bring pleasure to other readers. Always looking to sample new authors and agree on criteria.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jake. You are a great promoter, and I know all authors (especially me) appreciate that activity. : )
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