Thursday, February 7, 2008

Stress!

Okay, I need to make this short and sweet.

Like last week, I was planning on blogging about something erudite about my writing this week. That was before I started really stressing about time.

Why is it that I seemed so much more efficient squeezing everything in when I was younger? I had a full-time job, young kids with all their needs including getting them to and from school and after-school activities, and a great, supportive husband with whom I loved spending time, too.

Of course, maybe the point was that I was younger. I got up an hour earlier than anyone else in the household to write.

Now, I only work half days at a law firm and don’t take on any assignments that come home with me, either actually or in my mind. My kids are grown and my husband is still supportive. But with a March 15 deadline on the manuscript for the seventh Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery, another Silhouette Nocturne sale (which I fortunately don’t have to focus on till my Kendra manuscript is out the door), and concern about promotion for Kendra #6, DOUBLE DOG DARE, a June release--not to mention some family stuff, but, then, there’s always family stuff going on--I’m feeling stressed!

Well, okay, taking time out to blog adds to it, but at least this way I get to vent!

Enough. I’d imagine nearly everyone reading this is equally stressed, at times, about... time! If anyone has any magic bullets to fix it, please let me know.

On the other hand, maybe the fact that my first published novels were time travel romances says something about my selective memory. Maybe I was stressed way back then, too, and figured that at least fictionally all I had to do was play games with time...

Anyway, I’d better get back to work.

--Linda

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh yes. What bleeping idiot said, if you want something done, ask a busy person? Don't we all have the same 24 hours in a day? I feel your pain. Lessee, promotion for first book, Through a Glass, Deadly, in progress; edits on second book in series, Pane of Death, sitting on my desk sneering at me; galleys for first book of another series, One Bad Apple, looming at the end of the month. Oh, and two more books to write before September. Are we having fun yet?

Lovew the Pet-Sitter series, though, so hang in there.

Sheila Connolly

Joanna Campbell Slan said...

Shelia,

I love those titles.

I know what you ladies mean. Yesterday at 5 p.m. I was working on my next book, and my son asked, "Mom, what's for dinner?" I nearly strangled him. Then I looked at the clock. I felt ashamed. Only one more year until college and I'm TOO BUSY to feed him????

Bad mom. Bad, bad mom.

Kathryn Lilley said...

I found a picture that totally sums up stress, writing stress in particular--I'll post it tonight. Meanwhile, I'm so glad we all have each other for support. There's so much pressure on writers, even those of us who seem to "have it all." Kathryn

Anonymous said...

Well, when you were younger you were younger and more energetic. Which means less down-time, which implies more time-to-do, even with the same number of hours in the day.

Entropy never sleeps. But sometimes it lies down in your lap and bares its claws if you look inclined to move and bother it.

Anonymous said...

Yes, hang in there...but I know I for one look forward to each new book of yours tremendously =)

Any idea when the first Nocturne book is coming out? I first heard you mention it some time ago.

Terri Thayer said...

I hear ya. I just finished a final rewrite of Stamped Out, Wild Goose Chase just hit the shelves, and I have two books due by September, too. Yikes!

I try to remember this: This is a good problem to have.

Linda O. Johnston said...

It's great to have so much empathy! Thanks to you all, and hugs, too, for YOUR stress. And, anonymous, I'm told that my first Nocturne won't be out until 2009 so they can also schedule the second one just a few months later.

By the way, if you're the same anonymous who commented the last time I blogged (or even if you're not!), the cover for DOUBLE DOG DARE is now posted on my website.

--Linda

Anonymous said...

LOL I am the same anonymous, how did you guess? I found the cover yesterday...it looks terrific!

2009??? Oh well, I'm sure it will be worth the wait =)

I won't be anonymous anymore, I figured out how to put a name on my post!

Anonymous said...

Terri, when is the first rubber stamping mystery due out?

Terri Thayer said...

Thanks for asking, Melissa. Stamped Out will be out in September. Not too far off!