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Grace Burrowes | The Importance of Being Unproductive
April 4, 2013
One of the questions an author hears most is, "Where do you get your ideas?" and
for a book about a hero who has very nearly sold his soul, that curiosity is
understandable. (Don't worry, with Lady Vivian's help, Darius wins it back, and
then some.) The usual answers I've heard or given are: I read widely in the historical period original sources. I take stories that
aggravated me in some particular, and tweak them so they become satisfying to
me. I read the classics (or watch movies), and then ask myself, "What if....?"
until something germinates with that whiff of possibility about it. Those answers are not inaccurate, but they are incomplete, at least for me. I'd
met Darius Lindsey in an earlier book, THE VIRTUOSO, wherein he
was a secondary character with a strong sense of loyalty toward the hero. Darius
popped up again a book about his sister Leah's romance with Nicholas
Haddonfield, and once more, Darius' protective, responsible streak was much in
evidence. And yet, this dude was miserable. I didn't know what he got up to off the page
when he stayed out until all hours, or disappeared to ride across the
countryside, but I knew something unhappy was eating at his soul. Now is when those handy answers—reading in the historical period, et
cetera—aren't enough to describe where ideas come from. For me the secret
ingredients to creativity are mental white space and patience. Authors (among others?) often hear about how important it is to work at their
craft daily, to set goals, to establish a schedule. Maybe if I followed that
advice, I'd have twice as many books on the shelves by now. I don't follow it,
or maybe I can't. What I can do is ensure that my days include what I call mental white
space, times when I'm not goal-oriented, not fixed on a to do list. I'm enjoying
the shower, taking a walk, driving a familiar twenty-five country miles to the
office. My mind is unfettered by expectations, and I'm not hammering away at a
plot line. If I allow myself enough of that kind of time—backside NOT in the chair,
hands AWAY from the keyboard—then eventually, an idea comes whistling into
view: Maybe Darius is making money in the last, most desperate fashion available
to an attractive adult driven into a tight enough corner—or he's about to
cross that line. Maybe he's so ashamed of himself he's considering the ultimate
desperate measure.... And thus, a book is born. Not from slavish adherence to a strict schedule,
though one must get the words onto the screen at some point, and not from
pursuing a goal in any linear fashion, but by waiting, hoping, trusting, and
never giving up—the very things that won Darius his happily ever after
with Vivian. How do you solve problems? Do you make a list, sleep on them, both? DARIUS BY GRACE BURROWES - IN
STORES APRIL 2013 A story that breaks all the rules... Darius is a remarkable tale of desperation, devotion, and redemption from
award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
Grace Burrowes. Her gorgeous writing and lush Regency world will stay with you
long after you turn the final page... With his beloved sister tainted by scandal, his widowed brother shattered by
grief, and his funds cut off, Darius Lindsey sees no option but to sell
himself—body and soul. Until the day he encounters lovely, beguiling Lady
Vivian Longstreet, whose tenderness and understanding wrap his soul in a grace
he knows he'll never deserve... Praise for DARIUS: "Burrowes brings to life a deeply moving romance that's sure to be remembered
and treasured." —RT Book Reviews, 4 ½ Stars, Top Pick "This rising author handles powerful romance and complicated family life with
skill in romances with great appeal." —Booklist "Burrowes creates her usual intelligent characters, exciting chemistry, and
flowing dialogue..." —Publishers Weekly "Very compelling... Likable characters with enough angst to keep the story
moving along." —Night Owl Reviews, 4.5 stars, Reviewer Top Pick ABOUT THE AUTHOR New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes'
bestsellers include THE
HEIR, THE SOLDIER,
LADY MAGGIE'S SECRET
SCANDAL, LADY SOPHIE'S
CHRISTMAS WISH and LADY
EVE'S INDISCRETION. THE
HEIR was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, THE SOLDIER was a PW
Best Spring Romance of 2011, LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS
WISH won Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011 from RT Reviewers'
Choice Awards, LADY LOUISA'S
CHRISTMAS KNIGHT was a Library Journal Best Book of 2012, and THE BRIDEGROOM WORE PLAID
was a PW Best Book of 2012. Her Regency romances have received extensive
praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and
Booklist. Grace is branching out into novellas and Scotland-set Victorian
romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in
rural Maryland. For more information, please visit www.graceburrowes.com. To purchase DARIUS: | Amazon
| Barnes and Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound | Indigo/Chapters
| Discover a New Love
| Sourcebooks One commenter will win a copy of DARIUS, US / Canadian addresses only
Comments
49 comments posted.
Re: Grace Burrowes | The Importance of Being Unproductive
I do give myself time to think about problems. Often several solutions will come to me, some better than others. I then decide what I want to do and follow through. I enjoyed your blog.
(Kathleen Yohanna 3:08am April 4, 2013)
I mull them over. Talk with friends and family.
(Beth Elder 6:53am April 4, 2013)
Kathleen, I'm not usually patient enough to wait for SEVERAL solutions, but maybe with my next book (a Christmas Scottish Victorian) I'll give it a try.
Beth, many, many authors will say their Critique Partners are their invaluable source of ideas, and I've turned to writing buddies often to help me work out details when I've got a start. More often, I'll have one character's part of the story--usually the hero--and another pair of ears will be a big help in figuring out the heroine, or the villain.
(Grace Burrowes 7:17am April 4, 2013)
Quiet time. Meditation. Thinking on relationships. How to feel better at letting your natural instincts to control those you love into better spaces OR NOT. Letting go increases your own peace of mind. I am not a writer but I need those small moments to remind myself I am not creating the plot of other's lives/stories.
(Anne Hoile 7:57am April 4, 2013)
Problem solving... yuck. By definition it means something's wrong. I used to be this strong woman and would resolve them myself with some basic thinking 101 or by meeting with colleagues. Now I talk a few things through with my mom or dad or my counselor. (I hit the "life is too much" mark, started having daily migraines and, along with a couple of other issues, am now having to fight my way back out of disability into having a life again.) I used to use my commute time to unwind and generally solved a lot of problems during that time, causing me to call myself to leave the resolution on my voicemail. LOL! And sometimes I solve issues in that state between awake and sleep when my brain is most active/creative and have to wake up and write it down lest I forget. Ann is write about "letting go". I have had to learn to let go of people who were nothing *but* problems. I am a bit behind reading GB's books... I took a trip into contemporary books for a bit. But after I read the book I just started I will be heading back to historical books in order to get "caught up" on a few authors. Thanks for the great stories and the great work you do helping children!
(Candice Royer 8:11am April 4, 2013)
If I have a problem, I try to sleep it over night, then attack the problem right away! I can't keep it bundle up inside. If I have a problem with a person, I will discuss with tact the source of it, sometimes, it is simply a misunderstood. Thank you Grace for giving away a copy of Darius!
(Nicole Laverdure 8:51am April 4, 2013)
It really depends on the problem. I try to rationalize it and not get myself too emotionally charged about it. Sometimes I will deliberately separate myself by either taking a walk (with my dog,of course). Finding a quiet spot in my house for quiet meditation is a dilemma (4 kids, dog, and hubby), so sometimes I sit in my minivan in my driveway and quietly read or write in my journals. Thank you, Grace, for such wonderful stories--keep up the great work!
(Sandy Kenny 9:12am April 4, 2013)
I just take my time and think it through...talking it over with my husband helps a lot too.
(Bonnie Capuano 9:42am April 4, 2013)
I have to confess that when I am initially confronted with a problem, my tendency is to panic - not exactly the most productive thing, to be sure - if I talk things over with someone else, it gives me perspective.
(Felicia Ciaudelli 10:06am April 4, 2013)
I usually try the head in the sand trick - hoping it will all go away by itself. But that really doesn't work. So I try to talk it over with someone who understands me, or I try to sleep on it and hope that the answer comes while my mind is resting. Your book sounds wonderful. Best of luck with it.
(Nancy Reynolds 10:10am April 4, 2013)
i just load up the gun
(Kent Cook 10:21am April 4, 2013)
I do both actually. Sometimes forcing myself to sit and work at a problem will help.... Sometimes it just need a little time...
(May Pau 10:23am April 4, 2013)
It depends upon the situation. Sometimes I spend time trying to find the best solution and other times I react or ask for advice from my son.
(Anna Speed 11:43am April 4, 2013)
I solve problems all kinds of ways. I stew about them, rant and rave, talk
them through with friends who understand me and how I think and know
my history, go to people who would probably have the best possible
solution, and some times I just impulsively fly by the seat of my pants. This
tends to drive people in my life crazy but that is why I only have a very
small group of close friends I guess. LoL I love our books and I am saving
up so I can get my hands on Darius. I am looking forward to reading it.
(Patti Paonessa 11:47am April 4, 2013)
Both. I think about them and make pros and cons or list options. And then after a good night's sleep I can usually have a better understanding of what is the best solution to a problem.
(Pam Howell 12:12pm April 4, 2013)
I try to relax and think things through... list things.
(Colleen Conklin 12:35pm April 4, 2013)
I usually procrastinate as long as possible! Then, I break things down into chunks & do a little at a time. I take care of the priorities first.
(Sharlene Wegner 12:37pm April 4, 2013)
Anne, I think your reminder would be very useful to all of us, whether we're writers or not. Well put.
Candice, I often set the alarm an hour early on purpose, so I can roll over the doze on some of my problems or my book questions. Just making sure I don't start the day in a hurry is probably a smart idea for the old creativity.
Nicole, that old adage about not letting the sun go down on your anger struck me as something people in relationships, in particular, have to use sparingly. You're right, some problems and difficulties require mulling over for more than a few hours, or a few days.
Sandy--journals! Yes, I still journal every night, sometimes as soon as I walk in the door and then again before bed. Good discharge mechanism.
Bonnie, if you've found a partner who's a good listener, happy is you.
Felicia, I find it's my temper that tends to flare up, splutter for a bit, and then calm down as commonsense and compassion get a grip on me. Very few people get up in the morning and plan on aggravating me--contrary to my initial fumings.
Nancy, it's often the case that time helps, and it helps in way that all the fussing and carrying on in the world won't. Good reminder.
Kent, squirt gun, I hope, though my cat never found it much of a deterent.
May, that forcing myself to set and work it stuff is the definition of me and accounting challenges, even balancing my check book and paying bills takes A LOT of discipline.
Anna, they taught us something in my conflict classes that you remind me of: EVERY solution has unintended consequences, and those will make new problems. If the problems are inevitable, having a good process in place for dealing with them just makes sense.
Patti, I'll be giving away more copies elsewhere on the blog tour, and I give away something almost every week on my website blog. You remind me that good decisions are based on good information, and that often the best step after a problem has been defined
(Grace Burrowes 12:40pm April 4, 2013)
If I can't ignore them ... which usually doesn't work ... I get somewhere quiet and try to think everything through. If I can't come up with a game plan that way I do try to talk over the problem with a friend. If none of that works I find a good book ... and read!
(Annetta Sweetko 1:08pm April 4, 2013)
sleep on them
(Debbi Shaw 1:11pm April 4, 2013)
If I can stay in bed and just let my mind wander, that's when I do my best problem solving, and plotting.
(Ella Quinn 1:15pm April 4, 2013)
I'm not very patient so I always want to solve a problem right away----I try to do a little internet research, maybe some library research---and just make up my mind.
(Sue Farrell 1:27pm April 4, 2013)
It depends on the problem or situation. I tend to let
things spin around in my mind like a computer until I come
up with a solution. If needed, I will seek additional
information or help. Occasionally, I just freak but that
doesn't help much now, does it? Sometimes the solution
comes easily; I have a lot of common sense. Sometimes it's
more difficult.
(Trudy Miner 2:00pm April 4, 2013)
This was quite learned and very interesting!
Joanne
(Joanne Bozik 2:06pm April 4, 2013)
I am a list maker.
I'm really looking forward to Darius. Lady Eve's book is among my favorites of this year! Thanks so much for visiting.
(G S Moch 2:11pm April 4, 2013)
I am a list maker, hopefully a thinker, and have lived 84 wonderful years.
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 4:58pm April 4, 2013)
Oh, gosh. Lists, yes. I am such a list person it's embarrassing. But they calm me. So I guess that's something :-)
(Chelsea Brooks 5:25pm April 4, 2013)
I'm definitely a list person! I think it just helps to
organize my thoughts.
(Karin Anderson 6:22pm April 4, 2013)
i solve problems but just acting on what I think is needed to be done. Just get it done is my motto.
(Lisa Fitzgibbons 6:27pm April 4, 2013)
I try to think through a problem first, but if no solution comes to me I try to talk to friends and family about solutions.
(Carol Woodruff 6:41pm April 4, 2013)
I make a mental list of possible solutions and then try to think them through and come up with the one that feels the best for me. It's not always the easy one, either. *sigh*
(Marcy Shuler 6:46pm April 4, 2013)
Reading the comments I was happy to see other people make lists too. I've always made lists, they are great to keep everything in order including my thoughts.
(Rita Wray 6:51pm April 4, 2013)
dreams. I have vivid crazy dreams with just a hint of the solution somewhere within.
(Beth Fuller 7:21pm April 4, 2013)
To solve a problem I try to imagine what the outcome my be for different solution, and then sleep on it. Hast always leads to something hard to undo.
(Sheila True 7:22pm April 4, 2013)
I have one of your other books.
(Michelle Fidler 8:01pm April 4, 2013)
I usually sleep on my problems and find a solution the next morning. I try not to stress
over things too much. If you can't fix it, forget it.
(Lazydrag0n Puff 8:27pm April 4, 2013)
I agree that we all need the mental white space to take time
away from the worries of our lives. It has helped me many
times to come to the right solution for myself and whomever
else is involved.
(Sandie White 8:53pm April 4, 2013)
I try to prioritize my problems and work on the most urgent first. Sometimes sleeping on it and discussing the problem helps with finding a solution.
(Bonnie H 9:08pm April 4, 2013)
Hi Grace! I love your books and can't wait to read this one too.
Burying problems is never a good idea.
(MaryAnne Banks 9:12pm April 4, 2013)
It depends on the type of problem. I may sleep on it, ask advice, do research and make appropriate lists, and/or pray, as appropriate.
(Janie McGaugh 9:16pm April 4, 2013)
I procrastinate a lot. Then I slowly plod through the problem and solution. I love your books. I always have a good day when I get a hold of one I haven't read yet. Keep it up!
(Laura Gullickson 9:19pm April 4, 2013)
Hubby keeps lists for everything and I plan to start doing so. It seems I stay busy all the time, but still can't accomplish everything I need to.
(Gladys Paradowski 9:26pm April 4, 2013)
I sleep on it - often with a bit of time I come up with some
steps to take - maybe some things to investigate to help me
come up with a solution.
(Diane Sallans 9:36pm April 4, 2013)
Problems have a way of being there no matter how you go about trying to solve them. I just got my divorce papers recently after fighting with my ex for 3 years about everything under the sun and how it was all my fault. For awhile, I even believed that. What got me through day after day, was my beautiful children depending on me day in and day out. I was able to start seeing the good in myself and later others as well as situations I went into, by finding something every day to look forward to. Some days all I had was a cup of coffee to take to work and some days I couldn't stop finding things that were good. Either way, I found myself again. That's my solution and I don't think I will ever lose my problem solving skills again no matter what life throws at me. Oh yeah, my kids are pretty awesome too.
(Lynsey Peterson 9:45pm April 4, 2013)
I'm am a sleep on it person. I do make lots of lists but they never solve my problems. I need to let things work their way around my brain before I can even imagine a solution.
(Jennifer Beyer 9:49pm April 4, 2013)
It depends how the difficulty of the problems. If the problem is simple, I solve it right away. If the problem is difficult, I usually sleep on it. If the problem is not so obvious, I do the pros and cons listing.,
(Kai Wong 10:01pm April 4, 2013)
I ruminate kinda like you. I chew it over in my mind and then
just let it go. Next thing I know the solution pops into my
brain out of the blue :-) I appear to be procrastinating but
I'm "chewing my cud", lol.
(Lenna Hendershott 10:31pm April 4, 2013)
Annetta, I like Option Number Three, particularly when there are as many good books hitting the shelves, as we have this month.
Debbie, my mom always said, "Don't make decisions when you're tired."
Ella, maybe a writing career is just an excuse to sleep in, because I'm of the same mind.
Sue, you say "right away," then refer to information gathering rather than an impulsive decision. Good on you!
Trudy, what a wonderful thing to be able to say "I have a lot of common sense." Betcha many other people seek your company when THEY have a problem.
Joanne, I do like to blog. Never thought that would be so, but having place to put the little thoughtful asides is fun. Thanks!
GS, I didn't realize until the book was published how strongly Eve's story appeals to everybody who was ever a teenager in a tough spot (including me). Thanks.
Marjorie, Chelsea, Karin my sister makes lists, and she never seems to be disorganized. Maybe something to that...
Lisa, the git 'er done school of thought has a lot of followers among the people in my family, probably my mom most of all. Raising seven children probably made that a necessity.
Carol, I like that approach. A little stewing, but not too much.
(Grace Burrowes 11:35pm April 4, 2013)
I talk over a problem or need for detail with my husband, who is good at offering solutions, details, support. I read up on what I need, I try something out, I look at it and see if I'm happy before committing.
If I sleep on something my subconscious often produces the answer I need!
(Clare O'Beara 2:06pm April 6, 2013)
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