My So-Called Life
I read a lot of blogs of aspiring writers or pubbed writers who still have to work the dreaded "day job." And I read a few comments on writers' bulletin boards from people who think once they sell that first book, it's easy street. I don't want to mock anyone, but even J.K. Rowling's first advance for Harry Potter wouldn't be enough to retire on (of course, now she has more money than the queen, so good for her!).
Well, I haven't had to work a day job in maybe four years. I never actually HAD a day job--I was always a freelance writer or book editor. But it's been a while since I had to take a ghostwriting gig or editing gig. Sometimes I do, for the fun of it, or the money dangled is too good, or it's a referral from an old client and it's hard to say no, but that's very rare.
One thing I can tell you about my so-called life is this: getting your first book published is the first step--and it's a fabulous feeling. But then you have to roll up your sleeves and start book two (usually) while simultaneously promoting book 1, and plotting your career.
Now toss the Internet into the mix. I blog--and get a lot of traffic (interestingly, I get a lot of lurkers--they'll email me but not leave a public comment--and that's cool, but don't be shy if you feel like jumping in). I have to answer fan email--I answer every single one personally. I usually have to check in with my agent at some point (right now, he's negotiating a TV deal for me--keep your fingers crossed that I have a big announcement soon). I try to do two or three Internet chats a month. I plan a contest for my website with new releases (shout-out to JANE who won a copy of INVISIBLE GIRL!).
What else? I am ALWAYS working on new books and ideas. Galleys come in--always on fast turnaround. Inevitably, I'll get a "rush" from my editor to read back cover copy or review something. I'll be asked to fill out information for my cover designer. (I have had some awesome covers with one or two exceptions. WAIT until you see the one for Poker Diaries--it'll blow you away. Can't reveal it just yet.) And now, add My Space into the mix.
Yes, I have my very own My Space . . . and am developing one for my Liza Conrad YA author persona. But I have no friends yet (Wah!) so add me to your friends' list and visit me there.
http://www.myspace.com/ericaorloff
Come say hi.
I publish about four books a year--usually one teen book, two or three category, and a trade. But then there are proposals to write . . . and books to complete.
Oh . . . and don't let this sound like I am bitching for a single second. I'm not. I wouldn't trade this insanely busy, coffee-fueled existence for anything. I have met some of the most utterly amazing friends and online pals. I have traveled and met TV producers and other authors. I've eaten some great meals in Manhattan with my editors, and I get to MAKE STUFF UP FOR A LIVING, which is so f***ing awesome.
But add four kids, a python (named Lydia), cockatoo (named Ava--I got her when THE ROOFER was completed, named her after the main character), a disobedient corgi (named Chip), lovebird (Kiwi), canary (Zen), beta fish (her name is Blossom), and a real life, too.
So yeah, selling the first book . . . a huge friggin' milestone. But it's like reach the top of a mountain . . . only to discover you have ten more to climb.
Well, I haven't had to work a day job in maybe four years. I never actually HAD a day job--I was always a freelance writer or book editor. But it's been a while since I had to take a ghostwriting gig or editing gig. Sometimes I do, for the fun of it, or the money dangled is too good, or it's a referral from an old client and it's hard to say no, but that's very rare.
One thing I can tell you about my so-called life is this: getting your first book published is the first step--and it's a fabulous feeling. But then you have to roll up your sleeves and start book two (usually) while simultaneously promoting book 1, and plotting your career.
Now toss the Internet into the mix. I blog--and get a lot of traffic (interestingly, I get a lot of lurkers--they'll email me but not leave a public comment--and that's cool, but don't be shy if you feel like jumping in). I have to answer fan email--I answer every single one personally. I usually have to check in with my agent at some point (right now, he's negotiating a TV deal for me--keep your fingers crossed that I have a big announcement soon). I try to do two or three Internet chats a month. I plan a contest for my website with new releases (shout-out to JANE who won a copy of INVISIBLE GIRL!).
What else? I am ALWAYS working on new books and ideas. Galleys come in--always on fast turnaround. Inevitably, I'll get a "rush" from my editor to read back cover copy or review something. I'll be asked to fill out information for my cover designer. (I have had some awesome covers with one or two exceptions. WAIT until you see the one for Poker Diaries--it'll blow you away. Can't reveal it just yet.) And now, add My Space into the mix.
Yes, I have my very own My Space . . . and am developing one for my Liza Conrad YA author persona. But I have no friends yet (Wah!) so add me to your friends' list and visit me there.
http://www.myspace.com/ericaorloff
Come say hi.
I publish about four books a year--usually one teen book, two or three category, and a trade. But then there are proposals to write . . . and books to complete.
Oh . . . and don't let this sound like I am bitching for a single second. I'm not. I wouldn't trade this insanely busy, coffee-fueled existence for anything. I have met some of the most utterly amazing friends and online pals. I have traveled and met TV producers and other authors. I've eaten some great meals in Manhattan with my editors, and I get to MAKE STUFF UP FOR A LIVING, which is so f***ing awesome.
But add four kids, a python (named Lydia), cockatoo (named Ava--I got her when THE ROOFER was completed, named her after the main character), a disobedient corgi (named Chip), lovebird (Kiwi), canary (Zen), beta fish (her name is Blossom), and a real life, too.
So yeah, selling the first book . . . a huge friggin' milestone. But it's like reach the top of a mountain . . . only to discover you have ten more to climb.
posted by Erica Orloff at 8:58 AM
22 Comments:
Sound wonderful and I can't wait. I have plenty of idea's all I need is the agent and book deal.
I don't work outside the house my time is spent on housework, writing, doctor visits for my daughter who has bipolar and writing, you know the usual.
la:
"The usual" is, I am coming to the conclusion, back-breaking sometimes. I get up at 6:30 a.m. most days and go to bed at 11:30 p.m., and I don't break for lunch . . . and somehow, my day goes down the sucking vortex of time!
I DO, truly, appreciate being able to work from home. It is a gift/godsend. I have a serious illness myself, so being able to work from home means I am spared being on someone else's clock on the days it's just too much and I really need to stay in my pjs all day.
E
My writing time starts about 7pm and ends about 3 am. You got the usual correct. ; )
Erica,
In an earlier post, you mentioned Chrone's Disease. I suffer from Lyme Disease. I've been told that I've had it for 15 to 20 years, and that it takes half the time that you've had it to recover from it. I'm three years into treatment; therefore, I'm on my way. The fatigue that is brought on during flair-ups is frustrating--and at times seems monumental. You inspire me to keep plugging toward that "care free" author's life. ;-)
I have the dreaded "day job," which drastically limits my writing time. Plus, I'm a single parent and have all the responsibilities of running a household by myself. The thing about writing is, you have to really want it. You have to make time where no time exists. I've pretty much given up any sort of social life for the past three years, trying to get some words on paper and learn the craft. I'm a better writer than I was three years ago, and hope to finish something in the near future that might actually be publishable. If it's not? I'll start on something else. I know it's a big mountain, but I'm willing to keep climbing. One thing I've learned is that there are no shortcuts. I have no interest in self-publishing or POD. I think that mountain is there for a reason. I want to play in the big leagues or not at all. To play in the bigs, you have to hone your craft and THAT TAKES TIME. Publishing, true publishing where you're out there competing against the superstars, is definitely not for the impatient.
Oh, by the way, Erica, does that spray-on hair really work? :)
Hi, Erica. I have to admit I have been reading your blog for about month without leaving any comments. Thanks for sharing about your life as an author. I've just recently been inspired to write fiction. I have such a busy schedule already, but I am making the time to write even just a little bit each day. I appreciate your honesty on this blog and look forward to many more wonderful pieces from you!
Heading over to MySpace right now to see if I can set myself up as your friend... BRB.
Hi Kate:
It's been a struggle--and I know Lyme disease can be a real b****. But I tend to be a half-full rather than half-empty gal. So being ill has taught me to prioritize, to value my good days, to value friends and loved ones. It's also taught me how truly lucky I am to not have to apply for Social Security disability, or what have you--that I have a "job" in which there is a modicum of flexibility. There are times when the stress is as unbearable as anyone else's in an office, I am sure, but there is the freedom to choose what hours to work.
E
Jude:
I am going to have to blog about shortcuts soon. Such a true statement. When you and I "met" over on J.A. Konrath's site, it was an "argument/disagreement" over critique groups and craft, as I recall. But in the end, we both agree. You have to want it . . . and you have to be merciless in learning your craft.
E
Hi Ana!
Well, I am super-flattered you dropped by! Thanks for posting.
When I started this blog, I really had no idea if I have enough to say three times a week (and maybe I don't and am actually delusional!). But I now realize I adore the craft of writing . . . and this has been such a fun way to explore the topics I really like discussing with other writers. Please keep on coming back!
E
OK, Karm . . . going over to myspace to see if you're my friend.
;-)
E
Thanks for the tips for aspiring writers. I'm in the process of writing my first book actually. I don't have an agent yet, and my editor is a online friend from livejournal.
The only "day job" I have is doing paperwork for the restaurant my mother owns. So, when I finish that I have plenty of time for writing. My main problem is I can see the scenes in my head, I just can't seem to type them out.
I hope you don't mind that I added you as a MySpace friend.
Nikkie.
Hi Nikkie:
Not at all! I need My Space friends so I don't seem like a social outcast. ;-) I skipped two grades of school--My Space is like high school all over again.
As for scenes . . . you know, I am OFTEN disappointed (not sometimes or rarely . . . often) with scenes. I picture it so well--like a movie--but then when I write it feels clumsy. I am very unforgiving. One thing I have learned all these books later is this . . . for ME, it's all in the voice. If I haven't nailed that voice--first person or third, but nonetheless my POV--then I am screwed. No amount of cool plot devices or cool characters can overcome not "embodying" for lack of a better word, the voice of your novel. Nail the voice and very often the rest will follow.
Good luck and keep writing!
E
Erica, can I just say I love you for being so open and honest about your life and so damn inspiring?? OK, thanks for letting me say that :D
I, like Jude, work the dreaded "day job". Fortunately I have a wife who is a great partner and is really behind my writing.
My so-called life allows me to write sometimes during the day, although the switch from left-brain work to right-brain writing can be really hard to achieve somedays. I don't get to write until usually after 9:30 at night. I never get to bed before 11:30 and I'm up by 6:30 at the very latest in the morning (my children are very early risers, dammit), every morning.
I truly appreciate my wife being my partner and standing behind me. Without her support I wouldn't get any writing done.
I do look forward to the day I can hang the car keys up and roll out of bed and sit down to write... someday. It will probably take at least three or four book sales to get there, but that's my goal.
Now if I could just find a crit partner or group to help me to help me hone my craft I'd feel a lot better about my chances. Until then I just keep studying, reading and writing.
Luckily for me I love my day job, but I can't deny it makes writing hard sometimes. There are only so many hours in the day...
Ewoh:
Believe it or not, four states away, I now "conference call" into my old critique group. I formed it 12 or 13 years ago, and never missed a biweekly meeting in all that time. Now, I sold my first novel maybe five years ago--so there were a lot of "honing years"--years I didn't even THINK about submitting. I wrote because I loved to. I wrote to see if I actually COULD write a novel. The novel I completed--the first one I completed save one weaker attempt at age 23--sold. My crit group morphed and changed over the years. A core member left. But we were a solid unit at the end. When I left, I was devastated, until someone jokingly suggested I conference call in (or fly back to Florida every other week, which could get pricey). We tried it--and it wasn't that bad at all. I found I had to be a more keen listener and look for pauses so I could speak . . . but it went well. I'll be patching in on Tuesday!
One thing I will say--three times in my life, I formed my own. No matter where you live, there are writers. If you play six degrees of separation, you will find some people to form a group--or post a simple index card on the board of the library, or make a flyer and ask if you can leave it at an independent bookstore. I know there's a chance you won't mesh or gel with the other writers--but they don't have to be your best friends. They do have to bring something to the table. I.e., one person can be brilliant at dialogue, another very good at detecting scenes or words to cut, another may have a lot of knowledge of grammar . . . whatever. You can have a very clear idea of what "feel" you want--and lay that out up front to weed through your applicants. My group is tough--but loving. We are ruthless still, in demanding really good work--but we're not there to one-up each other. Blah, blah, blah. Figure out what you are seeking in others and draw it to you the same way you would try to draw a friend or lover into your life.
Just my little bit of advice. It's worked for me . . . Either way, what snippets I've seen of your work impress me, Ewoh.
E
Naomi:
When I worked in publishing, I loved my day job too, but found I could only eke out maybe 8 pages a week, tops. It took me a while to complete my first novel. As you said, there are only but so many hours in a day. I had a baby late in life (my fourth) . . . and he is now 16 months old and into everything. He will just come over to my desk and those little chubby hands will grab for any piece of paper he can find, pound the keyboard, whatever, giggling all the time. He's great, but there are days when I think, "I am WAY too old for this." By the time HE goes to bed, I want to go to bed, but very often, I still need to pack in 4 hours of writing. It ain't easy, but I think it was Jude who said you have to really WANT it.
E
Erica -- this is a very nice snapshot of a full-time author's day. Thank you for detailing! Sometimes I think that it must get lonely but it sounds like you are not wanting for adult interaction at all, even though it is via email or phone.
Hey Karm:
It is an insaenly busy life, but, yes, oddly enough it isn't lonely writing at home all day. Even when I didn't have the baby and all three of my other kids were in school until 3:00 p.m., I loved the solitude but knew email and the phone were there if I wanted.
E
Thanks again for the advice and the inspiration... and the nice words about my snippets :)
I have been working on a creating a local writers group... I just need to really step it up to draw people in. Your suggestions are perfect.
I love the idea of the phone-in. That totally rocks.
The hard part is finding the writers who want to get serious about the craft and not just be there to be socila.
I only just started writing the novel length pieces because a friend who also wanted to do it dragged me kicking and screaming into nanowrimo. I had always wanted to write novels, but my utter lack of belief in my ability kept me from pursuing the dream. Nanowrimo was the wakeup call I needed to get past my stories around not writing. Now that I know that I can do it I just want to keep doing it.
I agree with both you and Jude that you really have to WANT to do it. To keep my desire to write up and active I generally write a few short stories when I'm feeling 'stuck'. If sort of clears my pallet and allows me to refocus again.
Ewoh:
I look at finding people for a writers' group the same way I look at dating. Frankly, if I were dating, I would have no time for people with baggage. Doesn't mean I have no baggage, just means I know where to STORE my baggage so I don't lug it through this existence. As such, I would be pretty frank but gracious.
If you feel the chit-chat squad isn't for you, then that's where I would compile ten qualities or things you're looking for in members. I would be open, and say, "Look, obviously working through a body of work means getting to know one another, but I am only interested in people who, after the obligatory meet and greet will roll up their sleeves and get into serious work." No sense in time wasting, you know? You sound sure of what you want . . . so that's half the battle. When I was in my first group at age 21, the stronger personalities "took over." I was in another one that was all about the lunch. By the time I hit 28 or so, I knew what I personally wanted. And made it happen. More than once I had the "icky" task of telling someone they didn't fit. And that sucked to do it the first or second time, but it's not because I am such a good writer and the other person sucked (which was most definitely not the case). It was all about the mesh of group ideals.
E
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