I go to an office five days a week in exchange for a regular paycheck and a limited amount of vacation time. Most of my vacations are spent with family and friends, but occasionally I take a few days just for myself, for that coveted stretch of uninterrupted writing time. This is hard to explain to a colleague. The conversation usually goes something like this:
“What are you going to do on vacation?”
“I plan to write.”
Pregnant pause.
“Yeah, but what are you going to do for fun?”
It’s at this point that I realize I shouldn’t tell more of the truth. So I’ll answer with a vague, “Oh, take long walks and hang by the pool–you know, relax.” Then my colleagues can sigh with relief that I am normal after all. They never have to know that what I’m really going to do is pretend that I quit my job to be a full-time novelist because I have a huge and devoted fan base clamoring for my next title. Continue reading “A Part-time Writer’s Vacation”
