Life Cycle Experiences with Writing and Family by Debra H. Goldstein
Like many of you, I am a blog lurker. Besides the ones I write for, I read several other author blogs on a regular basis. Consequently, I’ve become familiar with tidbits of the various authors’ lives. I’ve rejoiced with them during life cycle events like births, Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, or a child becoming their co-writer, and I have been saddened when there are mentions of illness or loss of loved ones.
Two things I look forward to are the announcements of new publications and new grandchildren. The fun from these is the anticipation of how this new being will grow, be accepted, and mature in today’s world. Some will turn out successful, some duds (okay, no family member should be called a dud, but maybe a book or story here or there), some empathetic, some hilarious. During the past few years, I’ve found myself in the same duo state of anticipation.
In the past five years, Kensington has published five Sarah Blair books, and my children have produced 3.7 grandchildren. The week Five Belles Too Many was published, I was thrilled. It is one of my favorites in the series. I loved the idea of writing a behind-the-scenes account of a television show filming five finalists, including Sarah’s sixty-plus-year-old mother, trying to win the perfect Southern wedding. The time researching and prepping the book was fun, as I was put Sarah in the middle of everything by making Sarah her mother’s chaperone. As you can imagine, Sarah, who always finds being in the kitchen more frightening than murder, isn’t any better suited to being a chaperone.
My trepidation was whether the world of readers would see the humor in this situation the same way I did. Would they like the book? I could only hope (pray) the nuances of the different couples would engage readers and they would feel I stuck the whodunit. Similarly, I hoped readers would be satisfied by the arc growths of characters with whom they were already familiar. Most importantly, would readers buy Five Belles Too Many? I didn’t know.
While I was agonizing over the birth and development of Five Belles Too Many, the stork delivered a baby to my daughter and son-in-law (because I write cozy mysteries, I can’t go into the details). From his fingers to his toes to his full head of dark hair, this eight-pound thirteen-ounce boy won my heart. I immediately began anticipating how he would get along with his sister, whether his face would be one of smiles or frowns, whether he would be a geek or an athlete, whether he would be tall or short, and what kind of man he would eventually become.
There isn’t much difference in how I feel about the birth of Baby Bear (his sister’s name for him) or Five Belles Too Many. Both share the miracle of coming to life, the anguish, anticipation, and the sense of joy they are giving me. OK, maybe I am a little prejudiced in Baby Bear’s favor for the long term, but in the short run, Five Belles Too Many was important, too.
How do you view what you read or write in terms of your life? Does a book or story provide escape or joy? How does that differ from the life cycle events you experience?
