The Crappy Dragon Book is really coming along.

Mel and I are a pretty good team. . Oh, sure, we’re still in that butterflies and rainbows “dating” part of our work relationship.  I get that.  Still, we work well together. Our strengths/weaknesses really compliment each other.

I think in a perfect world she and I could regularly churn out 3-4 books a year.  I’m not just saying that – I know exactly how much work goes into a book.  The thing is, there’s a lot of forward momentum when you have someone to regularly brainstorm with, and it’s easier to avoid dead ends with two sets of eyes.  Also, we both type fast.  I’m not sure where she is, but I know that when I know what I want to write, I can churn out a clean 2-3,000 words in under two hours. Most of my blog posts take me about 30-45 minutes, from beginning to end.

Three to four books a year is actually a low estimate of what we could do, in a perfect world. I’m taking into account that we would have to plot out and write new books every single year, year after year, and lowering the number accordingly.

I mean, drive is not a problem.  I can’t stop writing.  Oh, sure, sometimes the words dry up to a trickle, but whenever I go too long without writing, I end up narrating things in my head.  The words are there, and they demand an outlet.

Drive is obviously not a problem with Mel, either.  I mean, she doesn’t just run.  She runs ultras.  And she doesn’t just run ultras…. oh no.  No, that’s not hard enough.

I kid you not, the woman just posted something about how she wishes she could run a 200 mile race.

A.

Two.

Hundred.

Mile.

Race.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH HER?!  I don’t even like driving that far without plenty of snacks, and a book on tape, and a really good reason.

So, yeah.  We could do it, in a perfect world.  Easy peasy.

There’s just one problem with that:

We don’t live in a perfect world.

Mel and I both have full time jobs.  We both have kids.  We both have animals we need to care for, and husbands who want love and attention, and house stuff that goes awry.

The truth is, whenever I had this mental image of me for-real working on a book, it always looked so peaceful, so creatively serene.  The light would filter in through the windows, afternoon sun filtered into a golden haze.  The breeze would stir the curtains slightly, casting shadows against the art on the wall.  There’d be a meaningful paperweight sitting at the corner of my desk, from which I would draw inspiration when times got tough.  I’d be sitting at some kind of giant mahogany desk, leaning back in my chair with my brow furrowed.  My head would be tipped back and I’d gaze at the ceiling as I fought to find the right word, the right descriptor, the right plot twist……. and then, suddenly, everything would click into place. I would nod my head decisively, bend forward over the keyboard, and my fingers would begin to fly as the world that lived in my mind spilled forward into living words.

Can’t you just see it? Isn’t it beautiful?

Yeah.

That is NOT what real life writing looks like at all… at least not for me.

Here is a list of real-life issues that have occurred while Mel and I were working on the book:

• Sorry, BRB, I need to go clean up kid vomit.
• Sorry, BRB, my car is crashed.
• Sorry, BRB, gotta cook dinner for the kids.
• Sorry, BRB, I need to go hose puke off the car seat.
• Sorry, BRB, friend died
• Sorry, BRB, there is diarrhea all over the couch.
• Sorry, BRB, I need to go run a 100 mile race.
• Sorry, BRB, goats are puking.
• Sorry, BRB, dying family member.
• Sorry, BRB, all four kids are fighting.
• Sorry, BRB, haven’t slept in two days.
• Sorry, BRB, my mom broke her leg.
• Sorry, BRB, computer broke.
• Sorry, BRB, gotta operate on a cat.

actual photo from one of our Facebook plotting sessions

Author life: It’s such a glamorous life.