WICKED WEDNESDAYS

I'm back....

Vacation is over. It’s back to work. Everyone faces that reality at some point or many points in life. However, I got to thinking, what is the perfect place for writing. Actually, what got me thinking was the fact that Erika Chase
was lucky enough to be interviewed by Elizabeth Duncan for her blog. It’s posted now at http://www.elizabethjduncan.com/blog.html

One of her questions was just that –If you could choose anywhere in the world to write your next book, where would it be and why?
I said, Sicily, being still in love with that country – the culture and the scenery, although I have to own up, I never tried writing there.

Having just returned from B.C., I did find an idyllic place to write and I made good use of it, too. Another bit of luck – a timeshare on Victoria’s beautiful inner harbour. I’d glance out the patio doors from both bedroom and living room, out onto the water, the ships at anchor, and a well-used path along the seawall. It certainly helped that the weather was ideal, also.

I could have spent my hours just staring at the scenery, and I was tempted. But it also energized me and as I said, I accomplished a lot, which is a good thing because book #3 is due to my editor on June 1st.

This is not a minor task to complete as I’ve been interrupted by the editor’s edits, a cover conference, pre-publicity for book #1, A Killer Read, a wedding in the Dominican Republic, a book launch, a mystery conference in Bethesda, MD, a mystery festival just outside Pittsburgh, my choir concert, and said trip to B.C. Also coming up, on the fated deadline weekend is Bloody Words in Toronto.

But I’ve discovered that’s a writer’s life. Just when you think you might have a breather (and an actual life), in role the emails and more work appears.

I have also toyed with the idea that next year when I return, it would be great to hook up with a writers' shared office space co-op or some such arrangement. If you know of one, please let me know.

So, thinking about the idyllic place to write is like those mini-vacations I’d hear about at staff development days when I had a regular job. Just sit back, close your eyes, and picture the spot. I’m back in that timeshare. Now that I’ve set the scene…maybe the work will continue to flow.

Maybe.

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

TUESDAY BRINGS TROUBLE

A room of my own -- not!

You'd think I'd have this writing thing down pat by now. I've been at it for many years now. Over 20 to be exact. That's when I first turned my journalistic typewriter into a fictional keyboard and started book one. You may not remember it because, sad to say, it was never published. Never even sent out, I admit. I had the good sense to recognize drivel when I read it and tucked it away. I used to look at it every few years just to remind myself that there was no way to go but up from there.

There are two such full manuscripts tucked away, and a couple of partials, too. When I finally got around to sending out my babies, it was after adopting a more serious approach to writing. I belonged to Capital Crime Writers and soaked up the words of our guest speakers -- cops, forensic pathologies, arson investigators and that ilk. I had my fabulous critiquing group, the second I would join, and it eventually morphed into The Ladies' Killing Circle. I would get up early and write for at least one hour every weekday morning before getting me son ready for school, and me, too (I worked as a Community Educator with the local school board).

Two manuscripts in that series are completed, a third is a partial. The first was sent out, several times, and although I received lots of encouraging words, there was no contract involved. So I moved on to short stories. These were more in keeping with my new lifestyle schedule and LKC had anthologies to produce!

Now, I'm back to writing novels full time. Well, some days it's full time. You know how life loves to intrude when you're having fun!

Which leads me to my writing room. I thought for several years I could no longer write fiction at my desk, in my home office. It was the place I did my store paperwork when I owned Prime Crime Books, the place I pay my bills, the desk my cats love to sprawl across.

Enter my new keyboard. It's one of those massive ergonomically correct numbers from Microsoft, my monitor is positioned at proper height (physiotherapist's orders), and my Notebook will be relegated to writing when traveling. The walls in this office are lined with books, unlike the dining room walls, where I was using my Notebook. The books should set the mood. The distractions of dirty dishes and sun-bathed deck are now removed. Back to being a full-time writer.

But it's still not my room, not totally. It's the space the cats allow me to use. If they want to saunter across the keyboard, it's as a reminder to me to take a short break, stretch, give them a quick massage. Don't tell me to close the door and shut them out. These are cats we're talking about. If you live with one or more, you know what I mean.

So, here's to writing, the proper space to do it in, comfortable new keyboards...and cats!

Do you have a room of your own, for writing or whatever you may do? Or is it shared space with something furry?


Linda Wiken
writing as Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming from Berkley Prime Crime in April, 2012