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
(0) Trackbacks • Permalink

<< Back to main