Thursday 29 May 2008

Beach, Book & Being Baffled

My sister phoned this morning asking if Grumps and I would like to join her and The Smalls (J, 3 yrs and G, 2 yrs) on the beach for a walk. It was beautifully sunny this morning (unlike now) and we spent nearly an hour paddling in the sea, whilst the children and dog got as wet as possible in all the rock pools. I then came back home and into the shed.

I'm nearly half way through editing RP now and I just worry that even though I may be enjoying it, how do I know that anyone else will? My brain was so busy plotting last night that I didn't get to sleep until 3am this morning and look as tired as I feel. It's still preferrable to being at work though.

Thanks to the changeable weather, I've managed to spend at least four hours each day working on RP and have still been out for the occasional meal with the others. Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who has no problem entertaining five teenagers and managing to get them home at the end of the day without too much bickering.

I've started reading Jill Mansell's, An Offer You Can't Refuse and as with all of her books, I'm loving it.

16 comments:

Yvonne said...

Wow you're going great guns! I always worry about whether people will enjoy my novel too, being in my head so much is bad for sleep.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

yvonne - my husband's head hits the pillow and he sleeps and he can't understand why my brain can't stop thinking so late at night.

HelenMWalters said...

Four hours a day is brilliant. I wish I had that discipline.

DAB said...

Debs, time will tell, but I reckon if you're enjoying writing it than that has to be a good sign that others will get pleasure from reading it.TFX

Jenny Beattie said...

I think it's hugely important and a fab sign that you enjoy it.

I'm so jealous of the sea ... god, I wish I had sea near me.

JJx

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

helenmh - I'll send five squabbling teenagers around to your home and believe me you'll soon want to hide somewhere and go into a fictional world of your own. Easy, no discipline involved at all.

tom foolery - here's hoping.

jj - I hope so. I do like having the sea nearby too. Mind you living in an island it's always somewhere fairly close.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

helenmh - I'll send five squabbling teenagers around to your home and believe me you'll soon want to hide somewhere and go into a fictional world of your own. Easy, no discipline involved at all.

tom foolery - here's hoping.

jj - I hope so. I do like having the sea nearby too. Mind you living in an island it's always somewhere fairly close.

elizabeth said...

My brain never stops... sometimes in the interest of ending my state of sleep deprivation I find myself wishing it had an off switch... but then knowing me I'd likely forget to turn it back on ;o)

elizabeth said...

My brain never stops... sometimes in the interest of ending my state of sleep deprivation I find myself wishing it had an off switch... but then knowing me I'd likely forget to turn it back on ;o)

Fiona Mackenzie. Writer said...

You are doing so well and if you are enjoying it to, that's a very good sign.

I have nothing to read having just finished the Russian Concubine which was absolutely brilliant.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

elizabeth - I wish I had one of those switches too, but like you would probably forget how to turn it back on again.

fiona - thanks. I have that on my tbr pile and am looking forward to reading it. I didn't enjoy The Outcast as much as I'd hoped, which was a shame.

Anonymous said...

I know how much a houseful of kids can provide inspiration for that job that gets done Somewhere Else. And that's a tough one, knowing if it's enjoyable to other people. I remember a documentary about ABBA, and they were saying that the only song they knew straight away would be a hit was 'Dancing Queen'. In every other case they just had to wait and see.

DJ Kirkby said...

My brain works exactly the same, i being to dream the book, live the book as I write it. Switching off can be difficult...so lovely that you have had ten glorious days in which you don't have to go out to work and can work in the shed instead!

Karen said...

Sounds like you've had a really productive few days, in spite of everything :o) I read An Offer you Can't Refuse a while ago, and really enjoyed it. Quite a sassy heroine. (Sassy's not a word I've ever said out loud.)

Seeing that picture made me quite homesick for Scarborough!

Annieye said...

It sounds as if you've had a great break, despite the weather. I love the photo - I love to watch children enjoying themselves.

One of my readers - Dot, aged 85 and an ex magazine editor - told me that there's a strange phenomenon common to all writers that makes them feel that others won't want to read their work, no matter how well written it is. She likened it to incest (!!!)

Well done on the editing, Debs.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

hilary - it certainly helps to know that others who are so talented felt the same way too.

dj kirkby - it has been wonderful and now I have to get my brain in to gear for returning to the office. Such a drag.

karen - I've never been to Scarborough but it does look beautiful.

I am enjoying the book and sat in the sun reading it for a few hour yesterday, bliss.

annieye - I do love going to the beach with the little ones, they have so much fun.

It's interesting what Dot has said. We writers have so many strange foibles in common, I think.