On Sunday evening I typed the words ‘The End’ after 129,488 preceding ones, thereby completing my third lab lit novel – the tale of a new group leader whose collaboration with a pair of strange epidemiologists soon leads to more than she bargained for. Having ferried my beloved scientist characters to the end of another journey, I was very aware of how the story of writing this one differed significantly from my previous experience.
Send in the fat lady
Experimental Heart took about three months to write and about three years to revise over a series of about twelve major drafts. I didn’t know very much about writing fiction when I started that novel, and I learned an awful lot on the way. As a result, the second one (whose title is currently under discussion) took only two months to write, but what came out was much closer to a finished product, meaning that I needed only about six months to revise it over three major drafts. During that process, in my waning months in the Netherlands, I started a third one with as much fire and inspiration as the previous two. By the time I reached England to kick off my new career in publishing, I was on page 122.
But then something happened. Of course I was very distracted, not only by changing countries and careers but also by a major upheaval in my personal life. To make matters worse, my then agent decided she would stop trying to sell Experimental Heart after (what I assumed was a mere) nine rejections, preferring to abandon it and focus on the second one. My opinion differed, so we parted ways soon afterwards. But the thought of producing novel after novel into the void, with no pipeline, was just too depressing to contemplate. So after tidying up the second novel, my activity more or less dribbled off.
Over the next four years, I eked out about 125 pages of Novel 3, all of it painfully. Most of my work was in fits and starts: when I was on sabbatical at the EMBL, for example, or over a few weekends when guilt drove me to at least try. But no sooner had refreshed my memory about what I had already written that the window of free time would be over. I no longer felt like a real novelist, and there were times when I seriously doubted I’d ever finish another book again.
Everything changed when I got a book deal. It was a wake-up call: I was a novelist, so I’d better start acting like one. The inertia, however, was still killing me. It wasn’t until I went on my writing holiday that something finally re-clicked for me. Slowly at first, and then with increasing fluidity, I began to produce – by the end of it, at page 347, I was writing as prolifically as any of those dreamlike times in Amsterdam, when twelve hours would pass like twelve minutes. In short, I had got my mojo back.
So what now? Lots of revisions on Novel 3, and the germ of an idea for a fourth. I am toying with the notion of writing about scientists from the point of view of a non-scientist character, which will offer an intriguing perspective on this singular profession that I so love poking and prodding from every possible angle.
Do you realise how boring that sounds? Especially in Morse code? Dot dash dash dash dash, dot dash dash dash dash etc. for 129,487 times. Couldn’t you find something a wee but more, I don’t know, novel?
\o/
But does it have elephants in it? You promised! (I’ve been nice, I think…)
I could sing it to you in dactylic hexameter, if you’re feeling Homeric.
Eva, our posts crossed. Oh dear…no elephants. Lots of cats, though. Not LOLcats, alas, but very ill, virally infected ones. Far too ill for cheeseburgers.
To be fair, I made that promise after Novel 3 was already plotted and set in Mill Hill where — unless Frank has been hiding something from me — there aren’t many pachyderms.
Nooooo. Ill cats are no replacements for happy elephants! No elephant sweaters, postcards from India, cats called “Trunks”, ivory statues? I’m not picky! =P
There is one cat who has a name. If anyone here can come up with a good enough elephant-related alternative (with the proviso that it has to be plausible that a little old lady would name her cat that), I’ll ditch the name I’m currently using.
Can’t think of an elephant-related name, but I like ‘Virgil’ as a cat’s moniker.
Oh. And ‘Yay’. Well done.
Homer had cuter dactyls than Virgil.
Dumbo.
Can’t think of an elephant-related name
Erm, hello? Dumbo? Babar? Horton?
Tusk tusk, a crossed line. Happens a lot on trunk calls.
Congratulations, Jenny, by the way!
“Hannibal”
Also, if you need any more proofreaders in my demographic (probably not, you know enough bio-folk) I’d be happy to
point out where you can add elephantshelp.t(u)sk.
Oo, some potential here. I like Hannibal!
Eva, you might be better served seeing whether my view on the Netherlands in novel 2 is offensive!
Nothing offends the Dutch! But I’d be happy to have a look =)
Would a little old lady name her cat Dumbo? I just can’t see it.
Congrats on finishing! I can’t even imagine what that must feel like – what an accomplishment!
Yeah, but now you have to edit it.
‘Nellie’. Good name for an elephant. Road to Mandalay and all that. Eating the croquet hoops.
I think your idea about writing about science from a non-scientific background is a great idea… we typically need more people to write in simple terms that more people can understand – which I believe would be the result.
I like to think that even when my protagonists are scientists that the science and its background are explained in simple enough terms. I certainly run the manuscripts by dozens of non-scientists. What would change in having a non-scientist perspective would be more a philosophical tone, I think. But we’ll see.
Yeah, but now you have to edit it. I love editing!
Congratulations, Jennifer! Again, and certainly again in the future. Yay!
For elephant inspiration look no further.
Congrats on #3! And here I can’t even seem to dredge up enough time to get a(nother) story out to Henry for Futures!
My hot tip for helping after-hours productivity? Ditch the television set.
Aside from the odd insomnia-inspired viewings of ‘Holby City’ on my iPhone via iPlayer, I’m completely TV-free. I also go down to the pub a lot less than I used to. I’m perfectly happy just listening to the radio while washing up and cooking.
I’m pretty much TV-free myself, but seem to be constantly overscheduled (work, consulting, house, child, wife, volunteering…). As a way of kicking myself in the pants, I signed up for NaNoWriMo this year. Not sure if I’ll finish, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
My hot tip for helping after-hours productivity? Ditch the television set
I have a good friend, a polymathic good egg sort of a chap, well-known author who is at the top of his scientific game and seems to have a comprehensive knowledge of absolutely everything you can possibly imagine. One day, I asked him, just kinda casual like, “how is it that you manage to be a well-known author and at the same time top of your scientific game and seem to have a comprehensive knowledge of absolutely everything you can possibly imagine?”
“I don’t watch the TV”, he said.
And when I was lucky enough to have visited him at home, there was no TV – just books, books and books, stuffed into every corner. A study lined on all four sides by books, floor to ceiling.
And, now I think about it, on the occasions that I’ve visited Jared Diamond at home (namedrop namedrop) I’ve not seen a TV, either.
I find myself watching the TV very rarely these days – when the rest of the family cluster round Humiliation of Obese Proles with Ant And Dec or some such drivel, I go to the pub or shut myself away.
On the other hand, I don’t seem to do much writing at the moment being, like Ken, overloaded with other tasks.
What is this TV you speak of?
Ken, I obviously can’t suggest ditching the kids! I suspect that makes a big difference. The volunteer thing is tricky – while I would love to do stuff like that, I really – quite selfishly – would rather do my own things.
Can you carve out any time – like an hour first thing in the morning, or an hour before bedtime?
But Henry, all the tens of thousands of completely irrelevant and useless random facts that I know come from TV…
Talking of which… I keep hearing that the internet is the new books ‘n’ newsprint (source of information). Personally I think the internet is the new TV (source of distraction/inaction).
True, Austin, but if stats are to be believed, the average Brit watches 25 hours a week of TV and that is presumably on top of surfing the internet. It’s amazing anyone can even procreate.
The British secret of procreation, without a shadow of a doubt, is alcohol. Without it I doubt most non-teetotal UK residents would produce progeny.
It may also be the only thing that removes us Brits from the net and the TV, if we are talking the pub.
Personally I think the internet is the new TV (source of distraction/inaction).
True. I should be getting on with my book proposal rather than reading this tripe.
It’s amazing anyone can even procreate
Speak for yourself, sister.
What is this TV you speak of?
of which you speak. Asshole.
Up yours.
Miss, Miss, he’s being rude to me, Miss.
Now boys.
When she’s not looking, Gee, you’re dead.
Don’t you have some television to watch?
Ken, I also signed up for NaNoWriMo this year. I always had my thesis as an excuse to not do it, but now I have nothing stopping me but lack of imagination.
@Grant – [emoticon for a rude gesture]
..|.,
my gesture was ruder, so there
Jenny; I think an old lady would call her cat Babar and dream of a mini-elephant with manners ;)
I find cats very ill, virally infected ones. Far too ill for cheeseburgers an intersting concept in a book. And if you want to get a Swedish help/thoughts/ideas/editorial comments not really related to language I’d be happy to help :) Otherwise, I’ll wait for another few [many] months and read it once it is out. Yey!
Gee, that’s because you smell of wee.
[Flags Richard and Henry as inappropriate.]
Asa, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I used to study feline retroviruses. They became a dead paradigm when FIV came into prominence, and I have always been intrigued by the concept of what happens when scientists wish to keep studying something that has gone out of fashion.
Sorry, that was totally unclear. I meant that the retrovirus I studied (FeLV) became a dead paradigm – obviously FIV is also a feline retrovirus.
p.s. Babar is a sort of sweet name for a cat.
Jenny> I thought it always died unless some strange fund gave money from an old lady’s will or so….
I’m still confused, but hey, that’s just me.
Richard is a pile of slugs’ intestines (a genuine insult used today of a classmate by Gee Minor)
Do slugs have intestines?
Crawfish do… why not slugs?
Jenny> funny enough, I understood what you meant ;) I think a cat named Babar would need an umbrella and be very graceful and well mannered – like many cats, right? (somewhere here it should be ovbious that I do not have cats :) I see them as slightly scary and very independent but graceful.)
I see cats like I see Henry Gee.
God must have invented them for a reason, but I’m buggered if I can figure out why.
@ Ken and Eva – I’d completely forgotten about NaNoWriMo. Never done it before, but in a foreign country with no irritating social life to get in the way, I’m off to sign up now!
Congrats on finishing – must be a great feeling!
Is your manuscript hefty enough to bat Richard and Henry around the head to get ’em to behave?
Can you carve out any time – like an hour first thing in the morning, or an hour before bedtime?
@ Jenny: I’m going to have to, pretty soon. I’m not much of a morning person, although I’m told one can be very productive if one rises with the sun.
@ Eva and Jo: Great! Nothing like sharing the pain :)
@ Richard and Henry…oh, never mind.
Can you carve out any time – like an hour first thing in the morning, or an hour before bedtime?
I’ll tell you what, though, it’s bloody hard if you have kids. I’d got them to bed last night and was having a happy time
insulting Richardworking on my book proposal, but I was continually interrupted by infant plaints, requests for this and that, which didn’t cease until I, too, cam to bed. So there’s no time at all.Soundproof room with padlock?
For Henry or his kids?
(and where’s the padlock?)
Soundproof room with padlock?
Ah, there speaks a non-parent. You can’t – can’t – ignore a sick, coughing child for long. If you do, you don’t deserve kids.
No you muppet: the padlocked room is for the kids.
They’ll thank you later.
I’m not a parent, but last time I checked, ‘sick and coughing’ does not necessarily equal ‘omnipresent and demanding’. When I was a child, there were certain times that my father was not to be disturbed, because he was working, and it was no big deal – we just learned the score and everyone was happy. I turned out ok, so it must not be emotionally damaging to request a little bit of privacy from one’s kids every now and again, as long as it’s not excessive. Or is that unreasonable?
Crunch, Crunch, glu, glu,glu…..crunch, crunch, crunch…
@Jenny: Sounds reasonable in theory but I’m not sure it works. Although, in my case, the dog takes more work than the kid (he’s a “special needs” dog, but very lovable all the same).
@Henry: My sympathies. Been there,
donedoing that.What rot.
Parents are human too. They need time away as much as the next dog.
Human? Shirley you jest.
Hi Ken – well, it worked in my family when I was growing up. My Dad was an artist and art prof and he needed a lot of alone time – mostly in the basement doing lithography and printing. We simply weren’t allowed to go down and pester him at certain times – obviously unless we were ill or otherwise in trouble. I didn’t resent this at all, though I can see how if you were used to having parental attention on tap 24/7, you might grow reliant on that, and then resistant to its suddenly changing.
When I was a child, there were certain times that my father was not to be disturbed, because he was working, and it was no big deal
Yeah, but I’ll bet your Mom was there at the time, doing Mom-ish things. What is she wanted quiet time to work? In the thoroughly modern and liberated Maison Des Girrafes, Mrs Gee has come home from her conferences to find a clean and ordered house, and it’ll be me who puts the children to bed tonite while she catches up with her work backlog. So, thank goodness for the Good Ol’ Fashioned Rohn household in which the paterfamilias wasn’t to be disturbed.
Don’t be a wally, Henry.
Actually, our daughter is pretty independent (she’s homeschooled, so she’d better be), so the 24/7 attention thing isn’t much of an issue. When I worked from home, I would simply shut my office door and that set a pretty effective boundary.
However, these days, it’s more a matter of time management (or lack thereof) on my part. I do try to set aside time for her every day, but it doesn’t always happen. The dog’s another story, though :)
@Jenny – you obviously lead a charmed life. Lucky old you.
@Richard – if your only possible response to anything I say is an insult, then I really don’t want to know you any more.
Henry, you just had a difficult week looking after the kids by yourself because you’re not used to it, but people get used to whatever situation they’re in. A few years ago, a friend of mine was complaining about “single parenting” when his wife went to a conference, exactly like you have been doing. A year later, his family situation changed, and he ended up with full custody of his son (current age: between Crox minima and minor). He has multiple jobs, day and evening, and is coping just fine now. People adapt. It takes longer than a week, though.
Every family is different, and sometimes things look easy. When I was working in the lab 60 hours a week, I was jealous of anyone who came home to someone who had already made dinner. I still had to go to the grocery store at 11 PM to find something that didn’t take too long to microwave. But people were also jealous of me, for not having to worry about disappointing family members when I changed my schedule halfway through the day. I could stay late in the lab whenever I needed to – nobody depended on me. So, what I see is this: maybe you had a hard week looking after a million pets and two kids, but at least you have a family. And maybe Jenny had to leave her dad alone when he was working, but at least her dad lived with her. I was dad-less until my mom married when I was seven.
Everyone has an idea of what a perfect family situation should look like, but you can’t judge someone _else_’s family from the point of your own. There is no “perfect” situation, just different situations.
Henry, if you think your experience is normative and everyone else’s opinion is worthless, as you seem to, then I’ll dream up some serious insults.
Hi Henry, I’m not sure why you got the impression that I was attacking your family lifestyle – I was speaking solely of myself, my needs and my experiences which of course are likely to be different from yours. For what it’s worth, my mother also did ask and did receive private time – she liked to go for walks by herself, and the rest of the family gave her the space to do it. I see nothing wrong with parents being allowed to have some private space, but that doesn’t mean that I’m suggesting it’s for everyone. If you want to be a 24/7 on-call parent and it works for you, then that of course is your prerogative. Please don’t take offense that my needs might differ, though.
Hi Henry, in these days the family (similarities) affair so, you must accept it.
In my case Mrs. Correa also working all day outside the home.
I am charge with the home and the Correa’s minor. I’ve helping with homework of the School, preparing their lunch, helping when the child are diseased (soft), etc.
I’m in and out of home, in that sense I’m lucky, because I work independently, I’m taking much of the day with my two Correa’s minor and their pets guinnea pigs, the canary, the cricket.
Thus is the job of parents today and needs to be addressed. Mrs. Correa go to the work very early and return late (is clothing designer), preparing the lunch for the morning and the night of the Correa’s minor, and I take them to the school in the morning, etc.
Is the life.
Good lord, you look away and 72 comments appear.
At the risk of repeating somebody else:
1) Plz to HURRY UP AND DECIDE ON THE TITLE FOR #2 AND RELEASE IT ALREADY thankq.
2) Plz to also release #3.
3) Plz to write #4, not in iambic pentameter or semaphore or anything else that has been suggested. Either Mac or Windows will be fine.
4) I wrote a book review of Experimental Heart which will appear on another website in due course, allegedly. It will also appear in our local lab newsletter, which truth be told probably has higher readership.
That is all. Or, as Alejandro says, “is the life”. :)
Also, I just read a bunch of the comments, and I’m amazed that any of Henry’s and RPG’s made it through the institutional firewall.
They know the secret password.
Thanks, Richard – I’m firing on all cylinders re: 2. News expected imminently!
RW – My father said “Is the life”.
And I said (12 years old) ¿How is that?.
I now officially surrender my secret password.
Sorry, Mrs. Correa is Textile Designer. I chided.
¿What is the password, Henry?
What’s the frequency, Kenneth?
Henry, does this mean I can say ‘Wankel rotary engine’ now?
All of this reminds me, there was something on Front Row recently about how authors of children’s books (not authors of books for adults) have a higher frequency of real-life children who commit suicide. Interesting factoid, not sure if it was scientific, or just anecdotal.
That’s horrible! What was the theory behind it? Their life could never live up to their parents’ fantasy image of what childhood should be like? Their parents tried out all the rough drafts on them and they got depressed knowing that all the magical books they read went through countless iterations of feedback before they reached the shelves? Or growing up knowing absolutely certain that there are no fairies – that someone’s mom or dad just made them up?
Now I’m depressed…
I think there was some speculation that while the kids could handle a parent being busy or working generally for periods during the day, the fact that they were devoting all this time and attention to other children was the rub.
Great…just as I was planning to break into the middle-grade/young adult market. Oh well.
Is heavy the family life. Everything else is an trivial speculation.
You can not talk about something if you have not had a previous experience, the rest is fantasy, is clear. Maybe you can give a few slaps on the back.