Friday, July 07, 2017

Level of Squirreliness

Oh never mind spellcheck. I know squirreliness is not a word. It's my own term. It seems to me that we all seek the maximum level of activity we can handle without being overcome by stress. That's your level of squirreliness.

I've reached mine again. Although most of my "stuff" is related to writing, I'm also on the church finance committee and my homeowner's association board. And there's that book study I will help lead. And a number of other things that are clogging the creative flow.

No one ever tells wannabe authors about the business/busyness of writing. It's never-ending and with increased success the pressure mounts. Social media can be a soul-sucker that will drain every spare minute. I once heard a speaker say she set her alarm to wake up every two hours all night long just to keep up with emails and to respond to media opportunities. She looked like she was auditioning for the role of Morticia in the Addams family. She was also very very successful.

Many of the Type M'ers are involved with preparing for Bouchercon which will be help in Toronto this year. I'm going and so looking forward to my first trip to Canada. But I've been involved with the grunt work of conferences in the past and know the effort involved. I've developed spreadsheets, scheduled interviews, organized judging....well you get the drift. The potential for volunteer work is endless. I so admire all of you who are helping with this conference. Whew!


I love writers' conferences. They are a time of renewal. I learn something every time I attend one. I just got back from the annual Western Writers of America convention which was held in Kansas City this. Some of my dearest friends are in this organization. But I didn't get a bit of writing done. I have friends who do, including fabulously productive best-selling Kat Martin who is simply amazing and has over sixteen million books in print.

It was a pleasure to see Johnny D. Boggs receive his seventh Spur award. It's an all-time record. And this man can write!


My built-in high pressure valve is when I can't seem to find time for fresh composition. Therein lies restoration and renewal. The most joyful part of being a writer is the experience of unexpected characters showing up for a book or the ah-moment of a plot finally clicking.

I know how to fool myself that I've spent adequate time on my writing. I can transfer hand written pages to the computer or fiddle with improving a story or part of a book. And spend too much time doing research.

So it's back to reality and saying "no" and resisting any activity that pulls me away from the blank screen.

9 comments:

Rick Blechta said...

And we're glad you're coming to Bouchercon!

As for "squirreliness", it may not now be an Official Word, but I believe it soon will be. I use it all the time, and I especially used it when I was teaching instrumental music to middle school munchkins.

Which leads me on to squirrel. Interesting word, that…

Charlotte Hinger said...

And the road to hell is not necessarily good intentions...it's the piling on of one itty bitty commitment after another.

Aline Templeton said...

The trouble with squirreling is that it leads to hamstering, when you go to bed and lie there thinking about all the squrrelly things you haven't done until your mind is scrabbling round and round like a hamster in a wheel. I do a lot of that.

Irene Bennett Brown said...

Charlotte, I finished Johnny Boggs' 7th Spur winning novel, Return to Red River a couple weeks ago. In my estimation he deserves an 8th Spur for the final third of that book alone. I can't think of any other way to describe how gripping good it is.

Donis Casey said...

I admire your commitment, Charlotte. Conferences are wonderfully refreshing. I'm afraid to commit too far in advance lest I have to back out at the last minute, as has happened before, or that I'll need that money for an emergency. How's that for paranoia?

Charlotte Hinger said...

Donis, I totally understand. One of the amazing things about the mystery field to me that one could easily attend a conference every single week. I don't have that kind of money and I sure don't have that kind of time.

Charlotte Hinger said...

Irene I'm going order that book right away on your recommendation. When I judged Spur short stories several years ago I was knocked flat by how good Johnny Boggs is. What a talent! I wish we still had the signing at WWA so I could look over everyone's books. I've heard such great things about Karen Fitzgerald's Forgiving Effie Beck.

Charlotte Hinger said...

Aline I know the circular thoughts feelings very very well. Things go better for me when there's a book problem whirling around.

Charlotte Hinger said...

Aline I know the circular thoughts feelings very very well. Things go better for me when there's a book problem whirling around.