Fresh Fiction Blog | Jamie Rush | The Best and Worst Things about the Writing Life

TOUCHING DARKNESS Book Three of the Offspring Series Avon Books, May, 2010 Jaime Rush

Nicholas Braden, a psychic spy in a covert government program, suspects he's a pawn in a mad man's quest for justice. His boss's stunning assistant is too loyal to give him answers, but Olivia's secret, wild side bends his mind and fires his body. As they edge closer to the darkest truth, good and evil blur, threatening their very survival.

Writing fiction for a living is the best job ever. I can't imagine doing anything else as a career. But is it all accolades, rainfalls of money, and truffles? Well, of course not. No career is perfect 100% of the time. So I thought I'd share my top 5 lists of the best and worst of being a writer:

5 Things I Don't Like About the Writer's Life

1. Dear Author... Fan mail can be great for the most part (see Best list), but we sometimes attract mail from the outer realm of life. We get letters from prisoners who want us to send money or help them write their story and get it published. We get mail from people who take us to task for grammar mistakes and the fact that the hero's hair in the story doesn't match the hair on the cover. And then there are people who want to share very private details of their lives we'd rather not know.

2. Writer, have patience. Everything takes forever, even when you're a contracted writer. We hone our patience while trying to get published, waiting months and even more than a year to get a response from busy editors. But even after the call, weeks and months go by between ideas, contracts, money in hand, and book on shelf.

3. Authors are naked on a dartboard. At least that's how it looks like in my warped brain sometimes. Everyone has an opinion on our books, and then again, everyone has an opinion on everyone's opinion. Authors have to accept that we can't please everyone, but sometimes those nasty reviews still hurt.

4. Not now! Sometimes ideas pop into our heads at the most inconvenient times. While in the shower, driving, in the middle of conversations, not quite so bad. There are other, ah, times where it's really most inappropriate. And trust me, the muse doesn't care what you're doing when she strikes.

5. "Excuse me, where are the restrooms?" Ah, booksignings. Eager crowds pushing toward the table, grabbing up books and thrusting them toward you while crowing about your last book...or someone asking where the latest Danielle Steele novel is, and you're not Danielle Steele. Even worse are the folks whose eyes widen in fear at the sight of me, the author, sitting there smiling and not in the least looking as though I'll bite or thrust a book into their hand and haul them to the checkout counter. They take the farthest path from me into and out of the store, afraid I might... well, I'm not exactly sure what they're afraid of. Someone enlighten me, please!

Being a positive person, I saved the good stuff for last.

5 Cool Things About Being A Fiction Writer...

1. Clothing Optional. I can work in my pjs or naked or whatever. At least as long as I'm not, say, in public. I enjoy dressing up, but I like not dressing up even better. That's not to say that I actually do write in the buff, it's nice to have the option.

2. "Whaddya mean, 'Get to work'? I am working!" I'm in the pool, floating, swimming, daydreaming...and I'm working! Yeah, seriously. I'm staring off into space with a grin on my face, and it's called being productive, as long as I write or type something soon afterward. I can get ideas and tidbits wherever I am, and I can work wherever, be it in Florida or up in North Carolina. Daydreaming counts; napping doesn't.

3. Adventures in Writing. I get to live dangerously, fall in love, and have grand adventures. I get to create worlds and people. From absolutely nothing solid, whole worlds and people and situations materialize into a solid book. It's almost a miracle. Heck, it is a miracle.

4. Fan Mail Revisited. The good kind, where people I don't know take the time to write and tell me how much they love my books. ::Warm Fuzzies::

5. You get to tell people you kill for a living. Seriously. When I meet someone new, and they invariably ask what I do for a living, I tell them, with a most serious expression: "I kill people." Wait a beat for those words to sink in. Then, smile: "On paper." Explain. Yes, I'm slightly evil. It takes that to be a writer of romantic suspense, just as it takes slight insanity to be a writer.

Welcome to my world J

And for something fun! I've been running my Kick Butt First Line contest for every book I release: Shocking, suspenseful...make us want more! Cash prizes! Contest runs from May 1 through June 1, 2010. It's open to readers and writers. The entries are entertaining to read, even if you don't enter. For details on that and my books, go to my website.

Question for commenters: What's your top best thing and top worst thing about your job?

PRIZE: A copy of TOUCHING DARKNESS. Signed bookplate can be sent to the winner upon request.

Comments

The best part about my job as a learning support assistant is when the child I am working with are finally able to succeed as a task with out my help needed anymore - the smile on their faces says it all. The worst part is having to nag at them to do their work and learn their spellings and read each day - they don't like to be nagged!
(Barbara Hanson 8:59am May 5, 2010)

I'm a homemaker. The best part
is taking care of my family.
The not so best part is my
family needs a lot of taking
care off.
(Tanja Haack 9:27am May 5, 2010)

O'm retired but did enjoy working as a motel manager for 11 years. Met a lot of interesting people. It was hard work but I worked with my husband every day so that was different.
(Pat Wilson 10:35am May 5, 2010)

Watching my nephew learn new things everyday is the best... the worst, the destruction an almost 2 year old can cause!
(Colleen Conklin 1:00pm May 5, 2010)

Meeting new interesting, fun people is the best part. The only bad part is the traveling.
(Leni Kaye 3:22pm May 5, 2010)

As a farm wife the best thing is seeing the beautiful field of our crops. The worst thing is tramping through the hog lots.
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 3:37pm May 5, 2010)

I am retired and the best thing is that I have LOTS of unscheduled time to do LOTS of things I have always wanted to do. The worst is that my family and friends know that I am retired with LOTS of unscheduled time and they think I should be able to do what they want whenever they want. Therefore, some days I could have 15 scheduled 'things' and other days nothing. Oh, well, the alternative is that no one calls me, right?
(Karin Tillotson 3:59pm May 5, 2010)

Love Books like this. I'm retired now so theat's the BEST thing and the worst thing is trying to figure out what I want to do with my time! LOL I have so many projects waiting for me, that I can't make up my mind!
(JoAnn White 4:42pm May 5, 2010)

The best part is feeling I've done something good for someone. The worst part is dealing with the public. Nuf said...
(Kelli Jo Calvert 5:49pm May 5, 2010)

The best thing is I have ALL the school holidays off - I am an Early Childhood Teacher. The worst is, for the work I do, I don't have nearly enough holidays.
(Mary Preston 6:13pm May 5, 2010)

I'm a grandmother. The best part is being with my son, daughter-in-law and grandson everyday. The worst part is, when they argue about whatever, trying to keep my opinions to myself, especially when it has to do with my grandson.
(Patsy Hagen 6:15pm May 5, 2010)

The best part of my job in customer service is when you help someone out and they are polite and grateful to you. It really makes you feel good.
The worst part are the really rude phone calls that I also get. You just grin and bare it.
(Dena King 6:15pm May 5, 2010)

I understand how your fan mail can be quite a task. Anyway, your book sounds very good and I would love to read it.
(Lisa Garrett 7:23pm May 5, 2010)

The best thing about my job is helping people take care of themselves. The worst is the hours are irregular and I like balance in my life.
(Alyson Widen 7:25pm May 5, 2010)

I just retired a few months ago after working as a coder in Medical Records in a hospital. I had always loved my job but the last year or so, so many new Medicare regulations that keeping changing and now there is going to be a whole new coding system. Am glad I don't have to learn that--too old to learn new stuff that is not fun anymore
(Barbara Studer 8:05pm May 5, 2010)

The best thing about my job is that I know I am helping the people under my care. The worst thing about my job is that providing care for a large number of people can be an unexpectedly overwhelming challenge in scheduling, creativity, and diplomacy.
(G. Bisbjerg 8:27pm May 5, 2010)

This is a great interview. I'm a disabled nurse. I spend my time reading and cross stitching. If I didn't keep busy I would go crazy.
(Julie Swaney 8:29pm May 5, 2010)

congrat on your book and hope may more come soon and then i would love to read about it and would blog abotu it on a cvouple differnt site
(Desiree Reilly 9:00pm May 5, 2010)

I am a housewife and mother of 3. I am so glad to have seen this discusion, I am always looking for new authors/books and this sounds awesome!!!
(Brandy Blake 9:12pm May 5, 2010)

I work at the library, so the best part of my job is helping people! The worst part is seeing kids not wanting to read! Please enter me - it looks great.
(Martha Lawson 9:20pm May 5, 2010)

I'm now semi-retired so I have more time to read good books, and would sure like to read this one.
(Paulette Hendrix 9:36pm May 5, 2010)

I'm a housewife and my husband is laid off right now.
The best part is that he is my best friend! The worst part is that he is around all day and all night right now and I had grown used to being alone all day for seven years since he was laid off last. He helps me when I need help around the house, but he also makes messes with little projects that he starts too.
I really like to read it is my escape and I have such great respect for authors!
(Brenda Rupp 9:47pm May 5, 2010)

My best thing is the bonues we can earn.
my worst thing is I'm on the phones ALL day.
(Dina Stornello 9:53pm May 5, 2010)

Best thing is I have a wide variety of responsibilities; worst thing is there is not enough time to do everything that needs done.
(Diana Donahoo 10:12pm May 5, 2010)

Best thing about my job is knowing where to find information. Worst thing about my job is inheriting problem projects from people who don't know what they are doing and because my supervisor thinks I'm a miracle worker (Ms. Fix-It).
(Kai Wong 10:49pm May 5, 2010)

Hello Jamie, Please enter me in this great contest. I love entering and winning contests from FreshFiction.com
God Bless YOU, Cecilia
(Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 11:03pm May 5, 2010)

Thank goodness I am retired now. Before, the worst thing was working with my coworker who did what he wanted to without regard to regulations etc. He was out of the office more than in and I had to work 2 jobs. Big time STRESS.

Best, I had some great friends and co-workers that I have ever had.

Would love to win your book. I love mystery and suspense.
(Brenda Hill 11:44pm May 5, 2010)

Great lists! It's interesting to find more about a writer's life. :0)
Best thing for me, I can dedicate a lot of time to my daughter. Worst thing, the payment.
(Julia Blanco 8:13am May 6, 2010)

We are farmers and the best seeing the feild start to grow and the worst spreading fetarlizer, That is the crappiest job on the place!
(Vickie Hightower 9:44am May 6, 2010)

I love these! And thanks to those who commented on my books!

I MADE IT! For some reason, I kept checking the site all day yesterday and didn't see my blog. =:O I tried everything, even getting in on my husband's pc. Strange! But thanks to everyone who stopped by and posted, and best of luck winning the book! Note to the winner: contact me thru my website to request a signed bookplate, sent free of charge.
(Jaime Rush 1:13pm May 6, 2010)

Jamie, great list!

Best thing - work from home
Worst thing - I miss having people to
gossip with
(Sue Ahn 10:39pm May 6, 2010)

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Comments

Services

SPECIALS

FOR AUTHORS

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Fresh Fiction Blog
Get to Know Your Favorite Authors