Where I Write

I am always curious to hear about where other writers write and I often come across writers who need a blank wall in front of them, a place that blocks out every bit of this world so they can concentrate only on their story. No windows, no anything.

Annie Dillard says in The Writing Life, “Appealing workplaces are to be avoided. One wants a room with no view so imagination can meet memory in the dark.”

This would not work for me. I am fortunate to have three most appealing workplaces in which I write. At home in Lowell, I write at the dining room table with the wall of seven windows on my right, looking out onto the back yard, glimpses of the nearby houses beyond the fence, the sky and trees, brilliant sunshine often filling the room.

At our lake house in Newbury, I write at my little round table facing the lake with the ever-changing scene outside the sliders, beyond the deck to the now snow-covered lake and islands, trees and mountains, all surrounded by a sky that transforms moment to moment. I go from the table where I hand-write new material and edit what has been done, to the computer to enter new words and sentences and chapters to be saved and cherished now and reviewed later.

Sometimes after a couple of days of solitude at the lake, I feel the call of the outside world and know it is time to venture out and be among people in addition to my characters. I may go to church and I may visit my books at Morgan Hill Bookstore or MainStreet BookEnds, but I usually end up at Bubba’s in Newbury Harbor to write.

I push away the salt and pepper and make room for my notebook. I have a small table in the bar area where there is a welcoming mix of people, voices and laughter. I settle in, and as I write I listen to pieces of conversation, orders, questions, a recitation of the sides. It is familiar and comfortable and the people who work there and take care of me always make me feel like I could sit there all day if I wanted. After an IPA and lunch, I gather my pages and set off for home, full of the day and excited about my new pages of writing and notes.

I have discovered that where I write is not actually at the lake house or at Bubba’s or at home; where I write is where my story is.

If you would like to leave a comment about where you write, it would be most welcome.

Speaking of the Novel

There are probably millions of people in the United States who belong to a book club. Although I don’t belong to one right now, I was fortunate enough to be invited to one a few days ago to discuss A Better Life.

It is an amazing experience listening to people, some I have known for years and some I just met, discussing Margaret and Jenny, Gene and even Darlene. They talked about Jenny’s family background and they asked many questions about the story which were often answered by another reader. Perhaps the most interesting comments for me were about the ending; readers have been pretty divided on whether they were satisfied with it or not. The fact that many readers want more of Jenny and Margaret’s story is a wonderful thing for this author.

What I loved sharing most was the process of writing the novel. The getting to know the characters, the characters surprising me at times, either by their actions or their reactions. People are amazed that I don’t know what the characters will do or say in advance, that there isn’t more planning or outlining involved. I explained that there are many authors who do outline and plan much of what they write and that is their process, but not mine.

People in the book club were amazed that I know and care so deeply about my characters. That my characters become so very real to me is part of what makes writing special. It is a mysterious process to people who don’t write, as well as to people like me who do.

Where I Left Off

Each time I open the document I am working on most, my new novel, a little flag appears on the bottom right, welcoming me back and encouraging me — Pick up where you left off. Then it tells me exactly when I was last there. It can be 32 minutes or 6 hours or a day, or it can be two or three days or even a week. I used to feel a little guilty, that I wasn’t working hard enough, that I had abandoned my work. I needed to remind myself that at this point in the writing process, even when I am not on the computer, I am writing.

I may be writing new pages in my notebook or I may be reviewing and editing the last chapter I wrote, or I may just be thinking, asking myself questions, picturing the characters talking or looking at something, and I wonder. As I drive to my grandson’s school in Billerica, I wonder how my characters feel about driving; as I scrub a pan or wipe down the counters, I wonder how they feel about cleaning; and as I cook dinner, I wonder how they feel about cooking. When I pick up the mail, I wonder what they got in their mail that day and if they know their mail carrier.

Sometimes they tell me right away and give me a deeper sense of who they are and I make pages of notes. Sometimes I don’t get answers right away, but it still helps to ask the questions that usually lead to more questions. And if I continue to question and listen hard enough, they will be answered in time.

I need to remind myself that until I have a first draft, much of the writing won’t be done on the computer. It will be done by hand and heart and head. After completing one novel, I have come to develop a profound respect for the process. At this point, where I left off is only part of the story.

On the Shelves

This weekend my husband and I and one of our granddogs went up to our house on Lake Todd in Newbury, NH. It is where I do much of my writing and where I continue to be inspired and focused. As my work on the new novel continued, the marketing and promotion continued as well, with visits to two local, community bookstores: MainStreet BookEnds in Warner (www.mainstreetbookends.com) and Morgan Hill Bookstore in New London (www.morganhillbookstore.com). I wasn’t sure what to expect or even exactly what I would say, but my goal was to have A Better Life on their shelves.

I started at MainStreet BookEnds, a magical place in Warner. It was Saturday afternoon when we walked in and I said to the owner, Katharine, “I have a question. Do you take self published books by local authors?” Yes.

She graciously took three copies on consignment. She asked me to sign them, then she put a sticker on the cover that said it was signed by the author. She put one right on the shelf, facing out for all the world to see. While I am happy to have it available on Amazon, for it to have a place in a bookstore has brought it to a whole new level.

The next day, I went to New London, to the Morgan Hill Book Store, another wonderful community bookstore. With a little more confidence this time, I told the woman behind the counter, Jolie, that I was a local author with a published book and wondered if they would be willing to take some books on consignment. Yes. This store was a little busier at the time, so I didn’t get to see it on the shelf, but she took two copies and wished me well and after I left there I stopped at Bubba’s Restaurant and wrote before I went back to my house on the lake.

My first novel is on the shelves in two incredible, family-owned community bookstores in New Hampshire, and I am so grateful to have such amazing opportunities to reach readers, one (or two, or three) at a time.

Emotion

Ten years ago, in one of the many pubs we visited in Ireland, I requested “Danny Boy.” My father’s song. After the set, I thanked the singer and he said, “I saw the smile then I saw the tears and I knew I had done my job.”

Now that quite a few people have read A Better Life, I am hearing many comments about their experiences with the story, and I am so grateful to hear the engagement and the emotion.

One of the most heartfelt comments came from a friend who is as honest and straightforward as a person can be. “I finished your book.” Her face told me she didn’t like it and I was about to hear why, but it turned out she was not only upset about Margaret and what she had gone through, but the fact that I was able to write it. “It bothered me,” she said. “It was disturbing that you could know what that child was feeling.”

Another friend told me how angry she was about what Jenny had done and many have expressed their strong feelings towards Gene, as well as their sympathy for Margaret. What I love hearing most of all is when readers want to know what and how Jenny and Margaret are doing now and if I am going to write a sequel. I would love to, and I believe there is a very good chance.

I am very grateful my characters are evoking such strong reactions and emotions, similar to every time I hear “Danny Boy.” It helps me believe I have done my job.