And you’ll notice that I cheaped it out, decided to let this entry stand through the end of the year. Link’s above.
I don’t know why I’ve felt so overwhelmed this autumn. A year ago at this time, my work was essentially done and I was heading to South Africa, via Milan, for a vacation, knowing my galleys would catch up with me in my final week there. This year, I’m in the middle of a final draft, not because I’ve missed a deadline, but because my editor has been generous, allowing me to tweak to my heart’s content. I now believe that the only way to get through a final draft is to read it aloud. But that takes time. And, I find, a lot of green tea.
As some know, I am fond of the Yiddish proverb, Man plans, God laughs. Every autumn for the past several years I have looked ahead and thought, “Well, next year will be so much easier.” For example, heading into 2008, I thought that dropping my Goucher class would leave me awash in free time. I didn’t know that I would end up writing two novellas in addition to this year’s novel, along with some other bits of writing. (An essay for a book tied to the bicentennial of Poe’s birth in 2009, an essay for the Edgar annual, an introduction to my friend Lizzie’s book, an afterword for a new edition of What the Dead Know . . . I might be overlooking a few things.) I didn’t know I would end up going to London five times. (I know, poor me.)
Next year, the calendar is already filling in. My annual teaching gig at Eckerd College’s Writers in Paradise conference. A trip to Guatemala for yet another writers conference. The Sydney Writers Festival. A book tour. Two trips, I think, to the UK. How did this happen to the world’s happiest homebody? To be sure, I’m not complaining.
There was a moment this year when I thought, 2009 will be so easy. I planned to expand The Girl in the Green Raincoat into a novel, which meant that my work for 2009 was half-done. But I no longer want to do that. I like the novella as it is and hope it will be published, eventually. Instead, I’m going to write another stand-alone. The book arrived in a moment of profound boredom a few weeks ago, then promptly receded, which means I’m not done with Life Sentences yet. I’ll know I’m done when the new book returns to assert its claim. Or when the deadline finally arrives.
Back to work.
Guatemala! Ooooooh. what’d you bring me?
Heh. i hope you get to go places while there. i know little of the country, but when I think of it, I think bright gorgeous color because of the weaving done by women of Guatemala. That’s probably as dumb as thiking “hula and poi” when someone says “Hawaii” but that’s my major impression.
you mention book tour – is there a schedule yet? i wasn’t seeing it on the website so maybe it’s too early to say?
“an afterword for a new edition of What the Dead Know” trade paperback, I presume?
Laura,
Do any of those plans give you a feeling for whether or not Tess’s stories will truly come to an end after “Raincoat” finishes running?
I do envy your travels, especially to the U.K. as I am in love with London and I haven’t been since 2005. I crave it. The best I can do at the moment to fill in the longing is to read all of Deborah Crombie’s Duncan/Gemma books. Currently, we are in a myster in the Southwark area of London and I miss the Globe and even Waterloo station so much!
Last question, one Sondheim fan to another, are you going to see “Roadshow”?
–Marjorie
Is Roadshow the old “Bounce” or something new?
As for Tess — I look forward to hearing what readers think after the final installment of “Green Raincoat.”
Yes, Laura, “Roadshow” is the revamped “Bounce”, the musical about the Mizner Brothers. It is at the Public, currently in previews, and the buzz is that it will not transfer to Broadway. However, isn’t any new Sondheim better than no new Sondheim at all?
–Marjorie
Let me know when you head to the UK and Kathi and I will put you in touch with David Weber, the original Johnny Malone.
Yes, they’re doing a trade paperback version a month before the hardcover publication of Life Sentences.
The book tour is planned, Andi, but — no Pacific Northwest this year.
By the way, for those following the serial: I am pleased to announce that I received a membership card for the Stonewall Democratic Club in the mail this week — making Tess Monaghan a member in good standing for 2008. You have to be a total Baltimore political geek to care, but — I am! (Getting “b’hoy” and “muldoon” in the New York Times was incredibly exciting. Thanks to my friend Bill Zorzi for helping me keep those terms straight. Zorzi played himself on The Wire, to continue the inside geekery thread.)
Well, my son and I attended a lecture at the local university yesterday, wherein David Baldacci held forth on writing books as opposed to movie scripts, and his efforts in adult literacy programs, and so on.
He was an interesting and entertaining speaker – even if one quickly loses count how many times he refers to himself (by name). No kidding – and nothing wrong with a healthy ego when one has conquered the thin air and reached the mountain top -but he must have enunciated his own name at least 40 times in the course of his hour long talk.
One funny anecdote was about a book signing he was conducting just before Christmas a few years back, where two women approached, and one asked for a unique inscription; she had rebuffed her boyfriend’s proposals of marriage three times in the past year, and she wanted to signal him that she was now ready to marry him. The guy was a huge David Baldacci fan and had read every Baldacci book, and he would love getting Baldacci’s newest title at Christmas….and would he (Baldacci) please write in there that she was now ready to live the rest of her life with him (the boyfriend)?
So – David Baldacci begins writing in the book – and the Christmas spirit moves him to write and write and write!! He covers three pages, extolling the timelessness of love and the how life moves so quickly, and one has to sieze the moment, etc etc -
and then he signs it and the women beam and go happily on their way…..and then he gets to thinking about what he just did.
And then – he says a prayer to God, something along the lines of “Dear Lord – please don’t let that woman ruin that fellow’s life; Please make sure she’s half as good as I said she was”.
And then he related how now, at every book siging, he’s about half affraid that a disgruntled man seeking vengence upon him will appear!
Anyway – it was fun
Well, I’m going to go into withdrawal after “The Girl in the Green Raincoat” is over in the NYT magazine as it is. So for it to be over altogether for Tess at the end–don’t know about that. But will put in my two cents of opinion when the installments are finished.
Kathy
I love Sundays now and Tess more than ever. I am eve grateful for the 2 week delays, because the waiting is delicious…
Myvote is to keep hope alive with Tess, you might miss her later on…I know i would, although your work is always welcome, no matter the theme, protagonist or form.
Congratulations on your embarrassment of riches.
What about coming to Maine on this next trip? Or at least to Boston. I’d drive down…
John S.
Boston is on the tour!