When last we met I was banging on about my first attempt at fiction writing. Full of hope and optimism I was. Oh, bless me. Turns out my fluffy beach read wasn’t pleasing to a single soul. Now it lives in a little blue folder on my laptop screen where even I agree it belongs. It was late autumn when I finally decided to put it aside. The leaves had turned and Old Man Winter was poking his gnarly fingers in my direction when I decided to see if I could do better. I tick-tacked away desperately trying to block out all the malaise found in the real world. Anytime bad news passed before my eyes or wormed its way into my ear I developed a bizarre syndrome, a cluster of symptoms—fatigue, irritability, restlessness, a twitchy eye and facial grimace, and a strange urge to let fly a stream of profanity every time Trump or someone like him spoke—for which the only cure seemed to be slipping back into the world I’d created on my screen.
While the wind blew and the snow swirled, I wrote and wrote and the next thing I knew I’d written another book. A book that may be prominently displayed on a bookstore shelf someday or simply take up residence next to the first one in the blue folder, but a book nonetheless. The early reviews from test readers are good and it’s caught the eye of a couple of publishing folks, but as everyone knows, even JK Rowling had to grow a skin thicker than a rhino when she started shopping her little wizard book about. Where it will go from here is a mystery.
For now, the weather appears to be turning although given that there’s still snow in my garden I’ve decided to start in on yet another book. I shall emerge at the first sign of a daffodil and not before. At any rate, whether I wind up a published author or a deranged hermit or both, I’ve found a way to cope with what goes on outside the walls of my house. What have you found?
Ah Bobbie, its like a breath of fresh air to read you again. I have always loved, loved the way your write and the way you talk. You are one of the few people who make me laugh out loud with your intelligent humour as well. Oh do get a book published please. As I sit here in my small corner of Spain desperately seeking English language books on Amazon and more often than not being disappointed. I need to read you. I took our signed copy of Finding Me in France out of our bookshelf for a friend to enjoy. As I read what you wrote in the front it took me back to sitting at your dining table in Semur (with the blue bubble parked outside) where we ate the most deliciously prepared repast prepared by Rusty, your amazing cook/husband/lover/friend. (Ah what I wouldn’t do for a bottle of Meursault!) She and I lament about the state of the world every day and she manages to get herself annoyed every morning as he reads the news on line – especially anything to do with Trump. So then we meet at a cafe in the evening and have a gin and tonic and put the world right.
should read “as She reads” sorry.
carol
Yeah – welcome back! You are so needed and this is the best of good news. Can we look forward to more frequent posts?
Keep well,
Agnes
Where are you? And what are you doing, other than emulating kermit (as depicted in the video)?
I just got back from Egland – full of daffodils. Don’t wait for NS growth. Could be a while.
Sorry about the typo – but Egland seems approprate for England over Easter somehow.
A very welcome post on a bleak day in southern Ont where we are bracing for an ice storm of potentially “historic” proportions – and it’s April 14.
I do hope your works of fiction come to fruition Bobbi and I look forward to reading it or them.
My second curriculum resource for French is now being printed. It’s for a niche market of course so won’t be a bestseller but it is very satisfying.
We all hope you will post more frequently!
Welcome back Bobbi!!! Can’t wait to read your new book.
In my own turmoil of change not yet achieved, it is very good to hear from your world. Thank you for the update. I do hope to read more of your work one day over here in sorta sunny, very windy California.
Bobbi,
I’m quite taken by your intense intent. By the end of April I will wash my hands of independent television and plan to write and write. I only seriously began writing about 8 months ago and have fallen deeply in love with it. I was thrashing about like a fish on the deck of a fishing boat trying to make a creative writing course decision until I wrote a friend who teaches comedy scriptwriting in Toronto. I asked him if his college offers creative writing online. He wrote me and said that he tells all of his students – after their cheques have cleared – you should simply write one hour a day and read one hour a day.
So I think your in good shape. Jack Kerouac wrote seven novels before he got published. Lots od stories out there like that I suppose but I guess they are irrelevant. Only writing is relevant. I’m seventy and having fun thinking of so many scenarios for my scenarios.
Keep writing. Who knows we may meet at a bestsellers convention talking about our work.
But you already ARE a published writer! Of one of my favorite reads ever, your beautiful “Finding Me in France.”
Congratulations on your new and newer manuscripts. You don’t tell us what the stories are about but I do hope you have written it in your wonderful comic voice — this year’s Pulitzer for fiction went to a funny novel so maybe the publishing world is taking note and your humane and humorous voice is suddenly exactly what they want.
How lovely to hear a bit of your news!
I had my first winter escape vacation since 2012!
Made a total pig of myself ( 7 weeks) and now I am broke again. When I came back to Alberta in March I could not face the foot of snow and freezing temperature so became a hermit. The snow is finally gone and the big yard clean up has begun. I will be first in line to buy your next book, whenever it arrives. Keep those keys clacking, Kermi!
I LOVED your beach read. I still think it should find a place out in the world.