Sunday, September 15, 2013

Writers' Dinner Conversations


 When you have married writers, dinner conversations have to be a bit abnormal.  Many start with, “I just can’t figure out the best way to kill him.”  I've often wondered about the other people sitting around us in restaurants, because we always work when we eat out.

Then there's "Once I got started, I really didn't want to kill him," leading to the inevitable response, "Yeah, but he's got to die, doesn't he?"

Obscure poison, bludgeoning, a knife to the heart . . . so many options, and we really have to decide. Who's the victim? Who's the killer? Who are the red herrings? So many things to figure out while we're sitting there in the buffet.

And the people at the next table are listening to me say, "I really think I need to kill more than one person this time."

That's just when we're working on a mystery novel. When we're plotting a Western, we might talk about a bank robbery or an ambush. You know that if one of us says, "Then he gets shot in the back," somebody around us is just going to hear, " . . . shot in the back."

But all those are minor concerns, I guess. What I'm really worried about is that Western romance I've got coming up on my schedule, and the inevitable moment I'll be sitting there at the restaurant table asking in all seriousness, "Just how dirty do you think the sex should be?"

Or maybe James will be working on a thriller, and we'll be talking about terrorists and assassinations and rogue states and nuclear bombs. If the government really is listening in on everything, I'm sure that someday guys wearing sunglasses and driving black SUVs will come knocking on our door and we'll be hauled off saying, "But . . . but . . . but I'm just a writer!"

12 comments:

  1. Oh, yes, these conversations would be somewhat alarming to those dining at the next table. Once, my husband and I were discussing the structure of a book, and just as I said, "But I want to have sex before then," the waiter walked up. My poor husband was more than a little embarrassed.

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  2. Poor spouses who have to put up with our crazy dinner talk. At least mine has no room to complain. He was in the business before I was.

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  3. You are SOOOOOOOO lucky. I can't imagine having that kind of a domestic relationship. I go up to the second floor, crawl into my cubbyhole, and write (or dream) and who knows or cares what I write about. It also makes me waste altogether too much time.

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  4. It never fails: Writers can talk about every mundane thing under the sun at the top of their lungs to be heard over the drone around them, but somehow the moment they get to the most salacious bit of plot discussion is the same moment everyone else in the room runs out of things to say. Dialogue snatches can be particularly embarrassing when they're yelled into dead air. :-D

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  5. Charlie, we are lucky. I can't imagine not having someone to share this crazy world with.

    Kathleen you are so right. At least we give them something interesting to talk about with their dinner.

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  6. And I thought I was the only one to bring on such conversation. My poor wife endures it all and is very supportive.

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  7. I'm blessed because Phyllis is not only my first editor, she also will come up with story ideas. Or we'll see someone when we're out and about and one of us will say something to the effect that this person would be a good character in a story. We've talked about my writing when dining out. I don't think we've talked about specific crimes. Maybe we should to see what kind of reaction we'd get. Then again...

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  8. Between me talking plot and my kids talking about fan fic, our lives sound quite fantastical. I'm lucky that I have supportive family and friends. They don't usually mind shop talk.

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  9. Sorry I'm just getting over here--this has been "one of those days." You all that have such supportive friends and family are very very lucky. It would be great to have someone to bounce plots off of once in a while. Y'all are very blessed. Loved this post Livia. I can just imagine it. You and James are so lucky to have each other!
    Cheryl

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  10. Even though I have no spouse who writes, this conversation happens all the time when we are getting a murder mystery ready or are writing a new one. (That's the murder mystery company I work with). I think it would be great to have someone to bounce ideas off of. I would love to be a fly on the wall at one of your 'dinners out'. Loved this post! Doris

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  11. I appreciate all the comments. It's interesting how writers work. Some are very alone in their work while others are like we are and share thoughts and ideas. At least we're never without anything to talk about because we always have several writing projects going on.

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  12. I missed this until tonight. So, so true.
    Great job.
    M

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