JB Lynn

Hijinks, Hilarity and Heart

writing

Neighbors informing my writing

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Real life has been impacting my writing more than usual lately.

A couple of months ago, when we were still on full lockdown, a neighbor called late at night. She’d fallen and hurt herself; and wanted a ride to the hospital.

Long story short, despite my misgivings surrounding the virus, I helped her because I thought it was the right thing to do. 

Got her dressed, put her in my car, took her to the hospital, returned a few hours later to bring her home, took her to the all-night pharmacy and waited inside with her while she got painkillers, took her home.

I then checked on her multiple times a day for the next couple of days to make sure she was okay.

She verbally thanked me.

Now I don’t do things in order to be thanked, but I do notice when someone makes almost no effort to acknowledge an effort that was made on their behalf. If she’d just given me a card, I would have felt okay, but because she did next to nothing, I felt used.

Last week she moved, without so much as a text saying good-bye.

I know that says more about her than it does about me, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot as I finish up Hitwoman 24. 

In this book, despite already having too much on her plate, Maggie Lee does something which she believes to be the right thing, but then she has second thoughts about it and ends up feeling used.  In some ways, her emotional journey in this one is hitting close to home and I’ve been struggling to get it right.

Not to worry, Maggie’s story has a happy-ish ending.

To tap into that, I’ve been thinking about another neighbor.

A few years ago, a woman I barely knew (we’d met a few times but had never really spent any time together) called me in a panic. She was on a trip and hadn’t brought her passport, but they weren’t going to let her on the cruise without it. 

She asked me to go into her home, find the passport and send a picture so that they’d allow her to board.

So I did, despite the fact I’d never stepped inside her home before. I was happy to do it for her.

She was sooo grateful and when she returned thanked me with a sweet card, a sweet treat and a gift certificate. As a result, we became friends and remain so despite the fact she’s moved across the country.

And when she moved, she gifted me this painting she’d done:

I just love it!

The Magic Formula?

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I was talking to an acquaintance the the other day who asked me what the magic formula for writing is.

After exerting ALL my self-control to not roll my eyes or scoff at her (in times of pandemic, I’m thinking scoffing is crueler than usual) I managed to tell her that the “magic formula” is work. Usually hard work that no one can even see that you’re doing until your “magical” success when you finish a manuscript, publish a book, or hit a list.

There’s no magical formula, but there IS some writing advice I give to everyone who asks.

Years ago I saw this advice from author Bob Mayer (or I heard him say it at a workshop…either way he gets the credit): I would do anything to succeed at _______, just don’t ask me to _________.

Most people can fill in both blanks pretty easily.

“I would do anything to succeed at skydiving, just don’t ask me to jump out of a plane.”

“I would do anything to be covered in great tattoos, just don’t ask me to face a needle.”

Those might seem like extreme and/or silly examples, but we’re not always the most logical of beings.

For writers they might look like:

I would do anything to succeed at writing a book, just don’t ask me to give up playing video games to make the time to actually write.

or

I would do anything to succeed at landing my dream agent, just don’t ask to face the rejections that result as part of the querying process.

Right now my personal statement is: I would do anything to finish this latest Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman book, just don’t ask me to be funny in the midst of all this worldwide suffering and turmoil. (If you haven’t read the books, “funny” is a prerequisite and I’ve been struggling mightily with this manuscript.)

What about you? What are you dreaming of? What are your goals?

Take a second to fill in those blanks for yourself.

I would do anything to succeed at ____________, just don’t ask me to _________.

If you can force yourself to actually do whatever the second blank is, you’ve got a decent chance of creating your own magic.

The Cursed Chicks experiment

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Yesterday I posted Chapter 26 of 1 Flew Over the Raven’s Nest.

This is proving to be an interesting experiment. To give something back to readers during the isolation of the pandemic, I began posting chapters (as I write them) of the first book in my new Cursed Chicks series. It’s fun…but it’s also frightening. It’s strange to try know I won’t have the opportunity to go back and fix things and that’s led to me working fairly slowly on it. (That and the fact I’m trying to fix the next book in my Hitwoman series.)

But it’s been cool to get all the positive feedback from readers as I write.

And for those that aren’t reading along, YES, it will be released in book form when it’s done. (But no, I don’t know when that will be yet.)

If you haven’t started it yet, here’s what the story is about:

You may think your mother-in-law is a witch, but RV’s really was.

And now there’s a very real chance she’ll be haunted by Mildred Bloodworth for eternity.

The only way to free herself from the curse that binds them, is for RV to make amends for Millie’s misdeeds.

Accompanied by a possessed Siamese cat, RV embarks, in her mother-in-law’s pink camper van, on a journey to right wrongs. But plans, like spells, can backfire.

RV drives right into a crime scene and quickly becomes the chief suspect in a mysterious murder.

Determined to prove her innocence, RV investigates with the help of a lucky penny, a wise owl, a reclusive turtle, and a magician whose agenda is unknown.

Week 4 of 2020 recap

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Busy, busy, busy!

I had a cold and have been battling the lingering cough and I forgot to post a Week 3 progress report, but I’m back on track.

I played Florida tourist and went to see manatees. It was the perfect time for us to go…the water was cool so there were HUNDREDS of manatees, but the day was gorgeous.

Do you do “tourist” stuff where you live?

The big shadows are manatees…the little guy to the right is a shark

I’ve completed the copy edits for GENTLY USED, STILL WORKS. The second installment of the Psychic Consignment Mysteries is available for preorder and will out on February 27th. If you’re not signed up for my newsletter and want to see a sneak peek of one of my favorite scenes next week, sign up now.

I’m working on the story edits of the third book in the series.

I’m working on Hitwoman 23.

I’m rolling along on my passion project. Chances are it will never see the light of day, but I’m having fun with it.

Also…I’m developing my brand new series. (It’s a spinoff of the Hitwoman series and I am soooo excited about it. I’ve got the preliminary blurb done and I’ve had the first cover made. And I’ve got my talisman which I’m ridiculously thrilled about. (I’ll explain more about the importance of writing talisman’s in a future blog post.)

I didn’t like the recipe I tried, so I’m not sharing that. And so far my craft project is a dud.

So I’m making progress on some goals, not so much on others. But I’ll keep trying!