When I’ve finished writing a crime novel, I’m in a good phase. It’s done! I still have the feedback from my test readers ahead of me and later the copy-editor will comb through the text thoroughly and suggest changes. But basically there is a book again and I can breathe a sigh of relief. In a few days, you will be able to see the cover of my new Detective Calista Gates sequel here. Publication date is December 5.
It is never easy for me to pass on my manuscript, which for months belonged to me alone. At the same time, however, I suddenly have time for all kinds of things again, while other people deal with my text. I can meet friends more often, linger in the café, read books not only in the evening, I can organize my bureaucratic life, try new recipes, read online newspapers in more detail, take two walks in one day, make long phone calls, darn socks, go through unopened moving boxes, look up the names of flowers and birds, make vacation plans for the coming year. That’s luxury for me!
“You have to be very disciplined,” people keep telling me, “to write books at home.” That’s right. Every morning, even on weekends, I sit down and work. Nevertheless, I also need the laziness, the free-floating thoughts, or the option to do mundane things at unfamiliar times, not having a guilty conscience when I postpone work to meet someone, or when I attend a Zoom conference or an event. I also love doing nothing. What a pleasure to just spend a rainy Saturday morning in bed!
My favorite fisherman feels the same way. He goes out onto the ocean almost every day during the fishing season, and in the summer he often works non-stop, out of bed at half past four in the morning. But if he is forced to stay at home because of bad weather and especially strong winds, he cannot really enjoy it because he loses a load of fish and the income that comes with it. He cannot stop thinking: Maybe the wind will die down, maybe we can set the fishing nets tonight.
When I go out in the evening and it lasts until late at night, I’m too wired to fall asleep immediately. When I finally doze off, I wake up early in the morning out of habit. Unfortunately, I can’t be creative when I’m tired in my head. That’s why I’m glad that I live in a remote area of Newfoundland where there is little temptation to spend half the night out of the house. I save that for my travels.
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