Tuesday, October 6, 2009

my chair at Gwen's



I realized by the comments that I need to explain to some folks what Writing Tuesdays are in my life. For about ten years, my friend Gwen and I have been getting together to write one day a week. We're pretty steadfast about it but not nuts - if $$$work$$$ arises then we must shift things around. The day has been either Tuesdays or Wednesdays for years - I rent my office out on Tuesdays - so that is one good thing and it has worked around our various commitments to grandkids etc... In the richest of times, it is all day with a yummy lunch and a walk with Hoagy. On special occasions (birthdays or holidays that fall on our day) we might go down to the marina and have fish & chips (sadly won't be doing that for a while if ever). The main main thing is that we write on whatever we are burning to write on. We often read to each other or ask each other questions. We talk about marketing etc..., retreats, Banff, Canada Council and other ways to waste our time to get time to write! But mainly, she sits at her desk or corner of mine and I sit at mine and off we go. Today, for instance, she was working on her adult novel and I tried working on 'Swimming to Tancook' but I ended up working on Sojourner - my latest non-mystery novel. And we took Hoagy for a walk and had a wonderful lunch of curry from last nights meal. Then I zoomed off to the South Shore and she zoomed off. It isn't that we don't write other days - we do - we have to. It is that we commit to writing on our day. We make it the priority instead of fitting writing around other stuff. It's a small thing but it is sacred to us. Most of the times we write here because the house is basically empty. Sometimes I go to Gwen's - she lives in a grown-up version of a hippy commune so there may be others drifting in and out. Sometimes we go to cafes or the like with our laptops. We have taken extended days - mini writing retreats - one got me really going on The Rock Walker. You may all have it if you can find that special person to write with. (or spin, or knit, or paint, or...) You can't have Gwen though. She's mine.

3 comments:

Elizabeth Bradley said...

I love this idea. The buddy system. You could almost write a book about two women and how they meet and interact over the years. ;-]

Stacy Post said...

I love that you have a writing buddy and a designated writing day! How lucky you are! I agree with Elizabeth--there's a story idea there. Hmmm, I have a writers group, but do I have anyone close enough to try this? I'll have to make a few calls; send a few e-mails. Friday is my designated day...but it's usually flying solo.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like such a treat,
to have another to focus with. Knitting pals are like that too I guess.

Glad Hoagy gets to add some canine comments as well.