Writing over the Holidays--do you guys take a break?!

[carole gill]

Do you?!
Or do you feel guilty if you do?
This is excluding deadlines, a deadline is a deadline!
But just in the course of a wip or something of that nature, do you feel okay to "give it (and yourself) a bit of a rest?"

[carole gill]

couldn't agree more. if we're lucky enough to have family they should take priority. holidays for me--we visit children/step children and it's important. you're so right, so easy to become obsessed!

[Karyn J. Powers]

I had a great week and cleaned up two chapters and wrote 10 good pages and kicked out a piece of flash fiction that may or may not end up as a short story

[carole gill]

very good! so you were busy over the Holidays. but what about Christmas?

[Karyn J. Powers]

My schedule picks up at work. I manage a winter sports area and we kick off our three month season the week before Christmas. That time of the year I am up to my armpits in stuff like employee training, emergency action plans, snow making, and stocking a snack bar.

[carole gill]

I meant working at writing, sorry. you do sound busy at work though! okay, let me put it this way--you work outside the home--you set aside time to write everyday as well. wow! but what about Christmas--do you give yourself (you should i think) a break from writing? or are you too busy with other things?

[Andrea Campbell]

Oh, I"m a full-time writer all right. I've had ten books published, working on my eleventh and I also am Editor for a professional forensic science quarterly.

So, no, I never take a break from writiing of any kind. Did I tell you I teach two e-coursers with Absolute Write? one on book proposal writing and one about the gatekeepers.

Thanks,

I like reading about how people work and how they feel about work.

[carole gill]

wow. very impressed! I guess we all work differently. it's just you're the one who has accomplished so much!

[Andrea Campbell]

I am a total and complete workaholic, type-A, overachiever. I remember hearing about how the Japanese worked themselves to death and I would probably fit in great there.

I do allot some time every day to play Tiger Wood's 2008 Golf on my Play Station. But I do it after a 2-mile walk and before making dinner. See what I mean? I also work at night like a mole. I start at 11:00 PM and generally work until 3:30 AM. And on odd nights, I work out - - lift weights, Pilates, Yoga, or ballet barre - - and that is in the middle of the night too. My husband had heart surgery and snores (and I snore too). So this works for us. Then, when I get up at noon, I go to work again. This time from noon until 4:30 PM when I head out for my walk, (And then we're back to the Play Station).

It's just been ingrained in me. My father was hyper and he always worked too. I'm sure it's in the genes, the workers, the lazies, the whatevers.

Cheers,

Andrea

[carole gill]

my goodness. My father worked much too hard and was dead at 52. I'm afraid I learned quite a lesson from that. I admire you however. and I think early death is in the genes as well. so if it's y0ur thing to work, then you go for it girl! seriously, I think you're fantastic. you certainly put me to shame. I dont work now. but am concentrating on my writing (giiving it my best shot)--my days are make breakie, see hubby off to work. walk dogs, clean--write for four hours, then read then make din dins. what affects it are friends coming over or shopping wherein it's only done later (writing). pretty exciting huh? YAWN! but the last high powered job I had was in Florida many years ago and I would get chest pains at lunch time. so blank that (for me). I love my life, BUT I WANT TO GET PUBLISHED. anyway. thanks for your reply.

[Andrea Campbell]

Yeah, publication is a hard-knock business. I think perfecting craft and then networking are the two biggest things a writer can do to get published. Do you belong to MWA or Sisters in Crime? They are both good and if you go to conferences, you will stay more in the loop. I know the support of my friends helps tremendously.

Why don't you sign up for my free, bi-monthly author's e-newsletter? It generally has good ideas and I try to run cogent and spot-on Q & A interviews with people who are making headway. Just send an e-mail to [e-mail] and put "subscribe newsletter" in the subject line. Last issue had an interview with my friend Diane Fanning, a true crime writer (although she wrote her first fiction recently) and nominated Edgar author.

[carole gill]

thank you Andrea, I will do that. sounds really good.