It’s Wednesday morning in Tucson—sunny but quiet and still cool—and I’m having a day off. Why? Because the book tour for Downfall is over, and last night I sent the manuscript for the next Ali book, Man Overboard, to my editors and agent.
Let’s just say that finishing a book and being on tour at the same time is NOT RECOMMENDED. As that old Helen Reddy song said, “Hasn’t it been a long hard climb.” And that would definitely be a yes. It’s a little daunting to know that the publisher has already created the cover long before the manuscript showed up on anyone’s desk to say nothing of on the screen in my computer..
Let’s say a word here about publishers being unreasonable. They are not! The editor has not been hounding me to finish. I think there’s a general belief out in the world that editors are somehow slave drivers inflicting unrealistic requirements on hapless writers, not only in terms of delivering manuscripts but also in terms of what’s inside them. In my experience, that’s just not so.
For one thing, I’m the one who volunteered and signed up to write two books a year for two different publishers. I’ve also said yes to book tours twice a year. In other words, the fact that my literary life is complicated is entirely on me. A few minutes ago, also on my day off, I completed my registration to attend ThrillerFest in NYC next July. That means that, once again, I’ve just said yes when saying no might have been a: easier and b: less complicated. And if I start whining about the schedule next summer, please feel free to remind me of what I wrote in this paragraph!
Earlier this week a fan wrote something to the effect that she was tired of reading books containing too many “publisher-dictated” sex scenes. With a thirty year history of writing more than fifty books, I can say quite honestly that no editor has ever demanded that a sex scene be included or dropped. Writing is an art, after all, and what goes in or is left out of a work of art is up to … well … the artist. My personal decision to write books that are generally considered to be PG-13, is based on my own personal preference and on the knowledge that my kids and grand-kids would be reading my books. My stories are the way they are because of who I am rather than due to requirements imposed on me by others.
So now that I’m almost finished writing this blog, what am I going to do with the remainder of my day off? Read a book, that’s what! I started Dan Silva’s new book on the way back from our cruise, but the complications of writing a book and being on tour meant that I haven’t been able to look at it since. But now I can, and today’s the day.
As a child going to school and later, both as a student and a teacher, that’s what summer vacations were all about—reading books—preferably one right after another. Having the school library open one day a week back then was a real blessing for me, and I dragged wagon loads of books back and forth in the family Radio Flyer.
Occasionally, some young person who is longing to write—someone still in grade school or high school—will ask me what they should do to get published. I tell them that what they need to do first is become readers. Readers become writers, not the other way around.
And today, on my day off, that’s what I’m going to be—a reader not a writer.
Enjoy.
Enjoy your day off! You have earned it, and reading is the best reward. After my third child was born I was temporarily without a job for the first time in a long time. I would pack up those 3 little kids and take a brown grocery sack with me (olden days, no plastic grocery bags) to the library. I would come home with a bag full of books, every topic I could think of. Now that I am retired I don’t have to drag the kids with me or take a grocery sack because the book stores deliver and the library has online reservation. I still look forward to a day of reading book after book, though.
And thanks for all your posts about 10,000 steps. I have finally embraced it and you are so right (like you didn’t know that) – what a difference it is already making. Plus with my phone and earbuds I can listen to another book!
I’m glad you are home and resting up. Were the dogs happy to see you or did they give you the cold shoulder at first?
I usually had my nose in a book when I was little. My mom sent for books from the Iowa State Traveling Library every summer. We’d get a brown paper wrapped selection of books and could keep them for six weeks. There was return postage in a little envelope, too. Our little town library didn’t have many books then, but now is on-line and has everything a big town library has.
The lack of sex scenes is one of the reasons I read your books. I never have to feel like “Peeping Tom”.
Hooray on the next Ali book. Sure liked Downfall
I have to say the lack of sex scenes is a huge draw for me. I want a story and a mystery, and that is so what you deliver. I binge read the Joanna Brady and Ali Reynolds series in one week, and I’m working hard on the J. P. Beaumont, but trying to get them from the library hasn’t allowed me to read as fast as I’d like.
I hope you’ve had a wonderful day of reading and relaxing.
I discovered your books this year and l love, love, love them!. I keep a list and check them off as I read them. Once I start one I can’t put it down! I’m amazed that you can write different series with different themes and different characters. I’m an avid reader,never without a book. I’m so glad I picked up one of yours to try. I was immediately hooked. Congratulations on your success, and I look forward to more!
I think what Ms. Jance does is multi-tasking. She keeps all the characters and stories in her head and writes them down when the time comes. Maybe she keeps journals or records, but since she was a teacher it might be a blackboard. 🙂
Every one of your books is a delight and a treasure–thank you! Speaking with you (and Bill) in person is a once or twice yearly highlight. Your characters are very real people when I’m reading and, just as with flesh and blood friends, I like to know about their interesting lives and that they’re enjoying sex, but I don’t need any details.
Have a grand day off!
Just picked up my first J.A. Jance book. Loved it and can’t put it down. Now have a whole new world, literally speaking , opening up before me. I live in Devon England and now that I am retired, use my time walking on the beach near my home to plot my story for the first novel I am trying to write . I now feel recharged and ready to get back to the computer. So onward and upward as they say over here and thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Maureen T
Devon England
Why did you have Joanna’s Mother killed? It will seem very strange not to have the interaction between them anymore.
J.A. JANCE. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL JOANNA BRADY BOOKS. SHE IS OUR FAVORITE CHARACTER OF ALL THE BOOKS YOU HAVE WRITTEN. WE WERE THRILLED TO SEE A NEW JOANNA BRADY BOOK. YOUR BOOKS ARE ARE WONDERFUL. KEVIN AND SUSAN MC MACKEN