Monday, April 29, 2013

Writing like I'm driving in Boston ...


I spent this past weekend at the New England RWA convention, hanging out with old friends, meeting some fabulous new people, and sitting in on some wicked awesome (as us transplanted Bostonians say) workshops. (For the record, Liz Maverick is a seriously smart and articulate lady.) As an added bonus, Arizona drove up to Mass with me and went mountain biking at the nearby Landlocked Forest, first with me, then on his lonesome.

When we were out on the trails, we crossed paths with a gearhead “here, feel how light my bike is” guy who totally spoke Arizona’s language, and who recommended two other trail systems in the area for him to check out. But when it came down to it, he decided to stick with the trails we had already scouted, as they were just a few miles away from the conference hotel. His rationale? “The drivers around here are nuts.”

Now, I’ll admit there’s been a time or two when he’s cleared his throat at my automotive choices and “that was totally yellow” moments, but it wasn’t until this past weekend, driving back up in my old stomping grounds, that it hit home how truly, wonderfully insane it is driving in eastern Mass, where you’ll get rear-ended if you actually come to a complete stop at a stop sign. And it also occurred to me that being a romance writer is a lot like being a Boston driver. To whit:

There’s a time and a place for rolling stops. Sometimes you want to slow things down a touch, but that doesn’t mean you kill your forward momentum entirely. Whether it’s a rotary, a demon battle, a love scene, or an emotional moment, inertia can be your friend!

Make every mistake going forward. Okay, so this is actually a horse quote, from the legendary show jumper and trainer, George Morris, but I think that it applies equally well here. We all know that person—you know, the one who can never figure out why he/she gets into so many fender benders, yet their first response is to hit the brakes, slow way down, and assess the situation. By which point the car behind them has already become one with their trunk. Similarly, in writing, it’s a great idea to push through—even pick up the pace—when the going gets tough. I figure that if I’m bored with a scene, there’s a good chance my readers will be, too—so I move on to something more exciting!

Dents happen. As do rejections, bad reviews, and the occasional .gif-laden snarkfest. None of which are fun, and all of which put nicks and dings in the armor we’ve had to build up in order to put ourselves (and our work) out there as writers. But they’re survivable. What’s more, some of them have lessons to teach us, like how it’s important to focus on the developing romance rather than over-complicating the plot, and there’s no such thing as left on red. So hammer out that dent (or leave it as a symbol of a larger crisis averted), and drive on!

Now, mind you, I’m not suggesting we should all drive like Bostonians. One of the reasons I love Connecticut is the way we move over a lane to give the other driver room to merge onto the highway—as opposed to Mass, where I’m pretty sure you’re legally obligated to aim for the guy in the on-ramp, bonus points if you get him to swerve into the ditch. But I do think there’s a time and a place for us writers to channel our inner Boston driver.

So what’s your worst driving habit, and what does it say about you as a writer or a reader??

10 comments:

  1. LOL on your comments about Boston drivers. Boston is one city (add NYC) I WILL NOT drive in due to it being hazardous to my health or maybe sanity.

    My worse habit is rolling stops. In fact that is way I did not pass my driving test the first time. Noted that I did at least 3 rolling stops in my test. Hey.. I stopped long enough for me. :)

    I just want to get where I'm going (maybe why I'm trying to reform as an "end reader").

    Pats self on back I did not "end read" Jesse's book. :)

    Ann M. aka Ellory

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    1. *knuckle tap*

      Confession: I, too, failed my first drivers' exam. Which I suspect is difficult to do in Mass, but I bollocksed my parallel parking, which I routinely still do to this day. (It just doesn't make *sense* to drive past the spot. The guy behind you is totally going to get it!)

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  2. Confession time: I like speed. And I have a car that happily obliges me. I do, however, come to full stops at stop signs, something most RI drivers seem to think is completely optional-- especially if they've got an important text to send.
    As a writer I'm more of a Sunday driver, looking for a great place to picnic or a diner I've yet to discover that serves the best burgers in the state, and so far more likely to tap the brakes.
    Another example of my split personality, I guess.

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    1. Ooh, I like the Sunday driver writer. That's lovely :)

      When Arizona and I were first dating, I was utterly baffled by the concept of 'let's take the scenic route' or 'let's see where this road goes.' I was all like 'but that's not the fastest way to get where we're going!'

      I've definitely evolved into liking the idea of 'it's not the destination, it's the journey' ... but I'll admit to the occasional relapse.

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  3. Interesting take on driving and writing and yes, drivers in Boston are nuts. As you know, I've been banned from driving in Boston from my darling daughter. Hey, I got her to the airport and back in one piece. But she brought up a good point, I hate not know how I'm getting some place and it shows in my writing. I'm okay with not plotting out the full route, I can do day trips (or a few chapters at a time), but I do have to know my final destination.

    Totally agree on the parallel parking and we'll just call that first exam a practice run. :0) I also love to let Sailor Boy drive because then I get to be the "Sunday Driver" looking for all those cool spots to check out and everyone stays safe, while my blood pressure stays down.

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    1. Ooh, that's a good point about knowing (or not knowing) where you're going, whether it be on a day trip on in a book, and how that can be nerve wracking (for you and me, anyway!). LOL on being banned from Boston driving-this is not necessarily a bad thing!

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  4. Hey, Fun post Jesse. is this about driving or writing? Is there a deeper meaning to either? On the driving, I am a New York driver. That is a species unknown in this part of the world. NY drivers are all reflex and rules. Somehow you don't need reflexes in CT. CT drivers don't go by rules or reflexes, what's fair is how they drive. You don't need reflexes b/c when a ct driver is entering 95, they have the right of way, and you, on the highway, going full speed, must slow down to permit them access, that's fair. It is the most ridiculous system. Talk about rolling stops, this one can kill you because you, on the highway, must either move to the left high speed lane, or slam on your brakes to be "fair." I finally succumbed, but I do love getting back in my NY traffic where reflex driving is understood and rules of the road are also understood. The driver entering the highway must slow down and wait for clearance. That is the rule in NYC, it is up to you if you want to be fair and move over to let them in, but you aren't forced to be "fair." And by the way, for those of you that didn't have to parallel park for most of your lives, there is an easy "rule." Pull up to the car in front so that you are side by side, as you begin backing up into the spot behind that car start turning your wheel to 45 degrees, and that point you should be backing in, start straightening your car and finish parking. I never parked in writing before, but that's how we park in the city. It's the only choice. Let me know if it worked. It's really easy.

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    1. LOL! Love your descriptions of CT versus NY drivers. Thanks for chiming in, Gail!

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  5. Oh yes, have you experienced Virginia drivers? They "own" the left lane.

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