Sunday, April 29, 2007

My "Writer's Spa"


My husband, Rob, also a writer and an e-publisher, signed up to attend the Romentic Times Booklovers Convention. I decided to go with him. I mean, he was paying for the hotel room. I could hang out in a luxurious room, freed from the mundane activities of meal preparation, paying bills and housework. I could eat healthy salads and fruit for every meal, take long walks, and sleep in a king-size bed with massive numbers of feather pillows. Under such conditions, I was sure I could crank out at least 50 pages.

We drove down to Houston on Wednesday afternoon. By the time we got settled in our room I was much too tired to write. I watched "Mythbusters" and "Dirty Jobs" and planned to start my serious spa work the next day.

Thursday got off to a promising start. I woke up early and went for a nice long run/walk in the beautiful spring weather. About a mile from the hotel I found a bagel shop, where I bought a bagel and coffee to go (I couldn't find any fresh fruit, honest!). On the way back to the hotel, I fell off the curb and twisted my ankle.

I hopped/hobbled/limped about eight blocks back to the hotel, put ice on my ankle, and ate my cold bagel and drank my cold coffee. That was the end of the fitness portion of my spa. Now there was nothing left for me to do but write. I propped myself on the bed with my foot on a pillow, and I wrote and wrote and wrote--thirty pages.

As for the salad plans, I had great intentions, but Subway was the only place close enough to limp to. Subway sells potato chips. I was doomed.

That night I went to bed early with a couple of aspirin.

Friday I wrote some more--17 pages--and ate all the candy Rob brought back from the conference Goody Room. At three o'clock I packed up and started for home--and was stuck in traffic for two hours. Not exactly the relaxing conclusion I was hoping for.

At least I got a lot of writing done, which was really the point. And okay, the feather pillows were nice. But next time I want a spa, I'm checking into Elizabeth Arden!


(P.S. The picture is me with legendary Romantic Times publisher Kathryn Falk. I did attend one reception, given by www.allromanceebooks.com.)

2 comments:

bettye griffin said...

I'm sorry to hear of your mishap, but here's a bit of trivia that might make you feel better, particularly with your impressive output: Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone With The Wind while recuperating from an injured ankle (except hers was broken, not merely sprained.)

Keep writing. I'll be looking for your masterpiece!

Bettye Griffin
www.bettyegriffin.com
www.chew-the-fat-with-Bettye.blogspot.com

Kara Lennox said...

Hey, Bettye!

There are definitely times when I wish I had an excuse sit around! (Not that I want to have an injury, mind you, but if it DID happen I would find an upside!)

The ankle is much improved. I went for a long walk this morning and it's only a little sore.

Kara