Wow, doesn't that sound all official? Seriously though, my desk is where the writing gets done. In this case that desk is simply a used drafting board that was left behind in my previous home, screwed to an old iron Singer treadle sewing machine base that belonged to my dad's mother and was in our household as long as I can recall. The treadle and the top of the sewing machine cabinet are both gone, so no drawers or cubbies for storage. The scarred up flat surface of the drafting board is just big enough to hold my PC tower on the left, a 24 inch monitor in the back with two speakers tucked behind it, a light up mouse, mousepad, and wrist rests to the right, and my light up keyboard dead center in front. All that lighted stuff means I can type at night without the overhead room fixture on (too much glare on the monitor) or a desk lamp (no room). Now between that keyboard and monitor there's an assortment of scratch paper on a tiny clipboard for scribbling my daily totals, and tucked here and there are holders for pens, letter openers, scissors, and other odds and ends. I keep a small flashlight and my reading glasses handy too. The ammo can with the dark chocolate along with stuff like tissues, my insulated glass of icewater, and flash drives for saving work are all within reach nearby. My chest of drawers holds a small all-in-one printer. I've got several removable stick-on hooks on my PC tower to hold things like my headset, a bamboo back scratcher, and my phone charging cable. Yeah it's often a messy desk, and this little home office spot is actually in my bedroom, which is small and cramped. I don't mind the shared space; this is my preferred spot for writing and researching because it's private, and when I sit down here to work, the world goes away while I get something accomplished.
So there's nothing special about my writing environment other than I keep what's handy nearby and persist in plugging away. The ability to get things done depends on a workmanlike attitude and perseverance. I've written in a lot of different situations over the years, but the important thing is not the aesthetics, but what actually gets done. Although I will vote for a comfortable office chair, because you're going to be sitting a lot.
But this post isn't as much about where I write as what I've been working on lately. And there's been plenty going on...
Finishing the western novel and having turned that in back in mid-July gave me some breathing room. I really did sweat bullets (haha, western pun) over getting that book done by the due date of August 1st, and managed to beat that by a couple of weeks. Big sigh of relief there. It's not easy writing outside your comfort zone in a genre you're fairly new to. You'd think that after having 19 books in print and at least 15 short stories (with more to come in each category) I'd be past those heebie-jeebies. Uh, nope! Every project is a new adventure, and when I get invited in to play in someone else's sandbox, I want to make a good impression. So I was incredibly relieved that the story I wrote went over so well. Stay humble in this business, you'll last longer.
After the western was done I went back to working on other projects I had started earlier. I have a Vagabond Bards novel I've been picking away at since a year ago in April that is still not finished, and the 7th Jezebel Johnston pirate novel that I'd started back in January. Since I have broken into a UK periodical (Occult Detective Magazine #7 ) market with a paranomal investigator tale that was well received and it was suggested another Chandra Smoake tale might be welcome, I was also picking away at that. And I wanted to do another Sinbad story for Airship 27. So all those were on the table when Mechanoid Press put out the call for writers for the 3rd and final Monster Earth anthology.
Oh, I wanted to do one of those again! Who doesn't like envisioning a world where big stomping kaiju-type monsters are the basis of the cold war instead of nukes? I loved those Japanese monster movies as a kid. The series creators from Mechanoid Press have a definite outline for 6 stories. One of my monsters from the first book was included in there, so I threw my hat in the ring, wrote a proposal for that particular tale, and got myself involved. They're looking for about 10,000 words, which is for me a piece of cake. Because the deadline is the 31st of October, I had to drop everything but the pirate novel to get that story told. There was research involved for boning up on the unique locale, but I'm about at the 8,000 word point so in a good place. Might have to trim my beginning some, but no big deal there. I'm knee deep in monster battles at the moment.
Ah, but this past week saw me finish the rough draft of the 7th Jezebel Johnston pirate novel. Again, that is a wonderful feeling, to have put nearly 10 months into a book and have it at least complete in some form. It doesn't have a title yet, nor does it end where I expected it to, but the ending is logical and leaves a bit of a cliffhanger to begin #8 with. Sometimes you just can't get to everything you expected to cover into one book. The important thing here is to have a story that is well told, and to have satisfied the greater part of what you started out to have the main character(s) accomplish. I did all that. And this one will be getting a second pass, straight through reading and editing, before I decide it's good enough to turn in. If you write long enough, you learn to be flexible with what you want to convey. It's easier with series work, where you can pick up the thread of an event that didn't get resolved in the next book. I'm far from done with adventures for my buccaneer maid and her surviving companions. Plenty more books filled with adventure, romance, and mayhem ahead.
You know, there is no feeling like finishing a long-term creative project. I never get tired of that. It seems like a minor miracle each time I write THE END after the last paragraph. I was all alone the other day when I decided the pirate book was done, but I raised fists in the air and had another one of those 'Rocky Balboa at the top of the stairs' self-satisfied moments. Not so much because this particular book was so hard to write—hell, they're all hard to write. If writing was easy, anybody could be a published author. But because this year has been a tough one, both outside my little isolated part of the world as well as in a more personal way for me, it felt like a great triumph. Any time you work on something long-term with so much else going on in the background, and yet you still manage to finish it, that's a accomplishment to feel proud about. There's nobody here forcing me to write at gunpoint; I do it because I love the craft, and because I still have stories to tell.
I know a lot of folks are still reeling from the dire statistics and daily news reports about the pandemic, the natural disasters, and episodes of blatant racism and civil unrest that have erupted around us. You better believe that all troubles me too, both as an individual and a citizen. I have kids and grandkids that I dearly love and want a better world for. But for the most part, those are things which are out of my control on a national or worldwide basis. So I do what I can from my place in society, and I watch, read, and listen in order to learn more. I try to react in what I hope is a sensible and helpful or supportive manner on a more local level, and you can be assured that I will vote with those issues firmly in mind.
On a more personal basis this year, I've struggled harder with ongoing chronic pain from arthritis. It's reached the point where my sleep is often interrupted. Some days I need help getting on my feet or navigating safely through my own home or outdoors to the car (no, I'm not driving). I have family assistance with cooking or housework that I can no longer do. I walk with a cane all the time now, and by walking I mean a slow hobbling pace. Having to shower or do any kind of personal care or chores that involve standing or working in potentially slippery conditions has become treacherous and nerve-wracking for me. We are trying to set things up to make it easier, but this is an old house, and remodeling is expensive when every time you touch something there is just so much else that has to be tackled along with it. I'm not ready for a wheelchair at this point because I want to keep using those leg muscles, and the house isn't really set up for that anyway. I really don't want to switch to a walker at 63. I'm daily taking all the pain medication I can have without danger of overdose or addiction, and as far as any medical intervention we have gone as far as our current insurance will pay for without putting us deeply in debt. Some of the things I'm facing just have to be lived with for now. I have invested in items that help me dress, use the facilities, and reach for things—anything that will help me keep my independence and manage what I can no longer do on my own. Fortunately I can nap if I need to, or sleep in on mornings when the night didn't afford me enough rest. It's not pleasant, but I'm managing and stubbornly going on with my life.
Yet the writing has gone on regardless, because I really need that one big part of my day to look forward to. This is something positive I can accomplish even sitting in a chair. It gets my mind off the other stuff, and takes me somewhere outside the troubled world we live in. Not only do I turn out my share of fiction, but since June of 2013 I've been writing a monthly column for my town's newsletter. It's popular enough that I've been told they've increased circulation and been able to draw more ads to help pay for publication. It's my little volunteer project for the community, and I try to be as entertaining and upbeat as I can manage while touching on some of the topics that have us all concerned. I guess you could call it a busman's holiday, but I really don't mind doing it. Writing is second nature to me, and it's good to get up every morning knowing there's at least one thing I can accomplish for the day that won't have me struggling to force my now aching body to do. Whether it's 100 words or 1,000, I know I gave it my best. You'd be surprised how much that adds up over time.
It sounds like I write all day long, but I actually average 4-6 hours in the afternoon. Most of my evenings are free for TV, crafts, or just chatting with family and other folks. I regularly take one afternoon a week off to see my kids and grandkids. I do belong to a small, private online writer's group where we meet virtually once a week and read a section of something we've been working on. We also talk writing, sharing tips and potential business contacts as well as our triumphs and speedbumps. I'm very grateful to have been asked to join the group, and due to our much loved leader's health issues I've been hosting it for a while. But we all look forward to it every week. Nobody understands a writer like another writer, and we've all become better at our craft for the camaraderie and helpful and polite critiques. Those are sessions I treasure, and those folks are my clan.
So that's what's been going on at my desk lately. A shuffle of projects and always something to do. I hope you're also doing things that make you feel good about yourself. Life can throw a lot of wild curve balls all at once, so that you feel more like ducking and running for cover than standing there swinging away. Having something to do or somewhere to go that makes you forget the nastiness and smile for a while sure does improve the mood when things get frustrating. Anything that gives you a sense of accomplishment can make a difference in how you handle all that stress once you get back to the world as it is.
Always writing on,
~Nancy
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