This week, it's my turn to tackle how I deal with waiting.
My writing life waxes and wanes in intensity. But usually, after a rewrite, or a first draft, after I've sent it off to betas for a good microscopic throttling, or waiting on an agent submission, this is what I do.
1. I go to Paris. I love Paris, and I'm an expert in ignoring the French disdain for my nationality. I just stuff myself silly with good cheese and baguettes, feigning deafness every time the words "Zut alor!" pop up.
2. I have a full-body, platinum-treatment spa day. Because there's nothing like having ten women working simultaneously on polishing and buffing my poor, tired body after weeks of writing.
3. I have a gourmet cook specially prepare a nearly-death-by-chocolate concoction that I eat all by myself. It usually takes two days to finish it. And of course, there's a mound of home-made hot pretzels on the side because I love the sweet with the salty. You betcha!
4. I cash in my Lotto ticket that I keep forgetting to turn in. Money is SUCH a pain.
Okay.
So.
What do I really do?
1. I file away the massive stack of bills/statements threatening to sink the island in my kitchen.
2. I clip my toenails. I forgot I had toenails!
3. I get particularly goofy and silly with my kids, who look at me thoughtfully and say, "Oh. I thought the laptop was PART of your body, Momma."
4. I sleep. A lot.
5. I stress out about whatever I'm waiting on, and attempt to channel my energy into visiting blogs I haven't visited in a while.
So there you go. But really, I would like to go to Paris!
Don't forget to visit Danyelle's post next week, and if you missed it, here's Laura's post from last week!
51 comments:
Ha, give me a heads when you do come, I can recommend some good places in Paris. ; j
At first I was like, "damn! seriously Paris." Then i figured you were kidding. Between drafts, I'm a BIG fan of putting TIME between your drafts, I read. This summer I've read a TON or at least a ton for me.
Lydia, are you also planning to write an Erma Bombeck type humor book? You could.
I liked the toenail clipper part. Girl, you are real and classy and fun, a pretty great combo.
Now, about the Paris part. Why not CHINA? IRELAND?
LOL.
Patti
I go to the beach (and clip my toenails before I go) LOL!!
Ooo, I want a gourmet cook to create a sumptuous dessert I can eat all by myself. And then I want someone else to exercise all those calories away for me. ;o)
Waiting is hard. No way around it. I'm pretty useless for the first couple weeks so I do housecleaning stuff and read for fun. But then I start something new whether it be researching or dreaming or what not. A trip to Paris would work too, though.
You had me at "having ten women working simultaneously on polishing and buffing my poor, tired body after weeks of writing."
You really did.
Ah Paris! I generally escape to early 19th century Britain with Jane Austen and the gang.
Clean the house, catch up on all that I haven't done, and go shopping.
Ha! If only we could go to Paris, then we'd look forward to the waiting!!!! :D
I love that you're in touch with the wisdom of waiting.
Love the fantasy waiting list - now that would be the ideal way to wait! ;)
Ha! This is brilliant, Lydia. How wonderful it would be if we could just go to Paris, that would truly make the waiting game far more enjoyable :D
A gourmet chef... now that's what I really need. Heck, I'd settle for someone else making me a sandwich.
...I really don't like cooking... haha.
Ha. I love this post. I am in the same boat. I am currently in a waiting pattern and have finally started some mundane projects at home that have been sitting around for ages. And yes, cooking and cleaning and being silly with kids and unattached (er, less attached) to the laptop.:)
I'm going to Paris with you =D
Haha, I literally laughed out loud when I read this. I am going to vicariously sleep through you!!
Did blogger eat my comment? Ugh, if it did...in a nutshell I loved this post, hopefully the other one surfaces
I just did a post on this topic as well! Although I wished mine had involved more spa treatments...the fact that you don't disintegrate into a blubbering mass of tears and snot is probably the most impressive thing about your waiting game. Not that I'm projecting or anything :).
LOL This post was funny!
Because there's nothing like having ten women working simultaneously on polishing and buffing my poor, tired body... I think I might need to try that!! :)
What DL said :)
You really had me going there for a second. Hey, what do I know? Maybe you're secretly wealthy and all that work is for fun lol.
Great post.
"Oh. I thought the laptop was PART of your body, Momma." LOLOLOL!! Isn't that so true?? I'm ALWAYS behind my computer. ALWAYS. Ugh.
This was great! I'd love to visit Paris, too :)
Hah! Wouldn't it be nice?
At first, I thought you were serious! I got instantly cranky.
I want to go to Paris!
Fun post!
Shelley
I thought you were serious at first! Paris is lovely though- that would be a nice distraction.
Waiting is tough- something you can't control. And I like to be in control of everything!
Congradulations on finishing a draft. Paris or no that is a good feeling. :D
You tricked me too! I was like, OMG REALLY? PARIS??? Your dream chocolate dessert sounds scrumptious!
I found you through lbdiamond's blog, I've been following her for a few weeks now, but for some reason it never occurred to me that the traveling blog icon was literal, lol. Of course, now it makes more sense. I can't wait to read more from you.
Oh, and I would say what I like to do after I've completed my first draft, but I'm still six chapters away from that, so I'll let you know when I'm done ;p
You had me going for a few seconds...
Love the list; it would make a great wish list. Think I'm going to go make up my own wish list!
Happy Wednesday,
Karen
I'd love the full body treatment as well, thank you. And go shopping for some glamorous stuff. I'd go to NYC, I think. You did have me going for a few seconds, "Is this really what she does?"
If real waiting were like your imaginary description, I think a lot more books would be written very quickly!
I spend a few days playing a mindless computer game.
Paris! I think I'd go to London or Oxford instead, but good choice.
Well, I'm not at your stage yet. Got a looong way to go.
LOL I believed you at first! Guess you are really good at writing:)) I have been waiting too for one more critique and it is KILLING me!! So I started another book.
Hi Lydia....left a little something for you over at my blog...
Haha! Reading your first half response got me thinking "wow, I wish I could unwind like her" then...LOL! I think we all have our fantasies of how we really want our time spent and of course, have the luxury of money to do so.
You had me going for a while. You are awesome. Period.
you crack me up. :)
Now that's a very healthy imagination! Love the chocolate and pretzels, cheese and baguettes. Adults need adult food once in a while, even if it's only in a wonderful daydream. Thanks for the fun!
Trips to Paris, enjoying Spas, eating chocolate concoctions....wonderful images you are conjuring up, Lydia.
I can understand the toe nail part, I seldom remember that I have them, mine grow way too long before I clip them.
I liked the first list better, but yeah, I'm more like the second list too!!
hahaha awesome!
I hate clipping my nails. It'd be okay if I had to do it once and then be done with it. But NO - they keep growing back.
Dammit.
I also hate waiting too - for anything! ;)
And for a moment, I thought I was going to have to hate you. *snort* ;-D. But wow, the dream.
I also gravitate towards the toe nail clipping and house cleaning *sheepish grin*. And I consume a ton of TV or movie miles during a down moment from a long writing binge. AND Blogger has become my place to visit during that time also. :-D
Paris is awesome! But now that I'm a writer I can't afford to go there anymore :( Sleep however is a great substitute! ;)
Haha, I almost believed on Paris and was going "she's so lucky!" :)
I do the same thing with my bills. Out of sight, out of mind.
You so had me going there! I was thinking I needed to follow your waiting strategies instead of my own. O:) Waiting is really hard, but I think good food and Paris could definitely take the sting out. :p
Oh man! You had my mouth watering at the death by chocolate and the full body platinum spa treatment. I wish!
Turns out you and I do exactly the same things when we're not writing. Except that I don't have kids and play with my sister's kid instead.
Jai
thanks
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