Worth The Wait

By Susan

I'll admit it: I've spoiled myself in the past twelve months with travel. I've been to Seattle, Portland, Boston, New York, and Milwaukee. I've embarked on four driving trips from Texas to Kentucky and back. I've visited family and friends all across Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. And right now, I'm typing from a tiny bungalow in Key West, Florida, where my younger sister and I are wrapping up an amazing week, celebrating our birthdays together.
A shared goal of this trip for us both was to relax, read, soak up some sun and be responsible-- frankly-- for no one but ourselves. I'm sad to say that I didn't write as much as I'd hoped, but in place of that, I snorkeled, sailed, kayaked, swam and danced. I've eaten great food. I've read books I've wanted to read. And I've spent the entire week talking to my sister, who lives one thousand miles away from me. It's been a great chance to unwind, think, sleep, and smile.

My poolside friend

In preparation for this trip, I pre-ordered a book for my older daughter, who wanted to make sure that she got it on its release date of October 8th. She's texted me non-stop since the 8th, in fact, to let me know it still hasn't arrived. I'm sad to report that I just received an email stating that it shipped today-- meaning she won't get it until Saturday.

Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three
Yoga Poses, by Claire Dederer

And it made me think about anticipation. We anticipate our own projects' completions and hopefully, their successes. We look forward to trips and vacations. We can't wait to see people we've missed and to spend time with them. And there's nothing better than looking forward to a book and finally receiving it, knowing you can lose yourself in its pages for hours. My own reading list keeps growing as great authors keep writing great books, making sure I always have something to look forward to.
For the next twelve months, I'm looking forward to more great travel, great books, and for getting good words on paper.

Empty Nest - Full World

by Joan

Last year at this time, I was harvesting tears for my soon-to-be graduating senior. Last basketball game, last months at a beloved school, last high school dance pictures. The term empty nest was ringing in my head and it sounded so, well, so empty. And cliché.

Fast-forward a year. While I do miss my son--the uplift in his voice when he says ‘Hi, Mom,’ the shared dinners and movies, the waiting up and worrying (oh, wait, I don’t miss that at all!)--this empty nest business is pretty fun. (Really must come up with a better name—otherwise I’m in danger of cliché-ing myself out of an audience.)

I’ve been accused of being a hermit. Left on my own, I could sit in my office or my comfy chair or the back porch and write and read til the end of time. I suppose I would break occasionally for movies and wine and food.

Luckily my husband doesn’t let me get away with this hermit business for too long, because it’s only in the “real world” that a writer can view humanity with all its flaws and quirks and charms.

At the Dallas Arboretum, I see ripe raspberry tulips, snowing cherry trees, grannies with oxygen, and Glenda-the-Good-Witch quinceanera dresses. I hear screeching kids splash through frog fountains, frustrated moms reining in toddlers, and the click-click of my husband’s well-executed camera.

At the Kimball Impressionist exhibit I see monks viewing Renoirs and Monets, retired couples holding hands, cackling church ladies in matching red-ribboned hats.

At the Fort Worth Botannical Japanese Gardens I see plump koi fish and Kyoto-style stepping stones, hopeful brides and weary groomsmen.

And everywhere I see the faces of my next characters. Features, yes: wide noses, close-set eyes, stringy hair. But also expressions: resigned fathers, flirty twenty-somethings, sad botoxed cougars.

I've not settled on an idea for my next manuscript, but I can already see some of the characters' images and personalities auditioning before me.

Perhaps I need a few more outings. It won’t take long to exhaust Dallas and Fort Worth. Pretty soon we’ll be planning hikes in Ireland and Wales, a photo jaunt to Yosemite (with me hiding in the car from bears), and a return to my favorites, New York (may I stay here, please?!) and London.

Where do you get your best ideas?