Tuesday, March 20, 2007

writing on the road (and the intake of air)

I spent last week in Nashville with my sister, winding through the hills and watching the trees green up. I also spent last week gasping for air.

I was diagnosed yesterday with a temporary sort of asthma. I never knew you could have “a touch of asthma.” My body decided to switch things up a bit: I had a terrible cold when I lived in Britain, and with every cold since then, my airways get all choked. So now I have an inhaler. Rats.

So, between sightseeing and debating on a route to the emergency room, I got very little writing done.

Writing on the road seems a lot like doing homework over break. I always tried to be optimistic about the amount of work I could get done over Thanksgiving or Christmas. I’d go home laden with books and expectations, and wouldn’t get very far with either. I got some work done in Nashville--outlined my hero and two of my heroine’s friends, and read some writing magazines. But I also spent a lot of time knitting, watching movies, and drinking tea, hoping to get well.

Have I mentioned that March is crazy? I got home Saturday night, and I leave tomorrow afternoon for Branson, Missouri (and then to Seward, Nebraska) for a week. Meanwhile, the bathroom is torn to bits, and I’m trying to learn how to use an inhaler. (Not a big fan so far.) I’m biting my lip and looking at my monster plan; only a little behind, despite everything. Next phase: research. I have a huge list of books that I hope to drag around the Midwest with me--books on the time periods I’ll need to understand, and books about the kinds of people who star in my story. (Write what you know? Ha!)

We’ll see if I can keep everything balanced. That’s always been my nemesis: balance. Too much work, too much play, too much guilt. But I hope to combine my research in Branson with a rocking chair and a lake view.

And the time in Nebraska will be wonderful--I may throw all hope of work out the window. I get to spend time with my younger sister and . . . her fiancé! Yes, they’re engaged, and I--after years of begging my mother--finally get a brother! I’m delighted. Who wants to do research when you can be celebrating?? --jl

Posted by Jenn Langefeld on 03/20 at 04:15 PM
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