Friday, April 21, 2023

My Team

 RHYS BOWEN: I’ve been watching a lot of tennis lately. And one thing I notice is that the players all have their TEAM with them. Their coach, their trainer plus other unidentified hangers-on.  So I’m wondering whether we need a team?

Writing is such a solitary profession. We sit, staring at a screen, trying to pull words out of our heads and onto paper.  

What if we didn’t have to go it alone? So if you had a team, who would it be?

A coach–to remind you to keep up the pace of the plot, to remind you of the looming deadline and whether you have enough white space on the page (thanks Hallie. I can’t forget this now)

A trainer to remind you to get up and stretch, to shake out your shoulders, to walk enough steps every day?

A massage therapist to massage those tight shoulders and make you feel good after you have been sitting for hours?

A mental health therapist to tell you that you don’t have to be stressed. You are doing great!  All you have to do is breathe.

Or should that be a MINDFULNESS COACH:  reminding you to breathe, to meditate, to observe the beauty of nature around you.

Or should it be a CHEERLEADER telling you : You’ve been in this position before and you’ve always managed to write fifty pages in five days when necessary. All the fans love you. The book will be a huge success.

Plus

A personal chef so that the right meal is waiting when you emerge from your office, grumpy and hungry.

We are lucky. We have our fellow Reds to be our cheerleaders and mother hens. And the closest I’ve come to a team was at the Edgars when Amazon flew in six people to be with me!  I called John and said “Do

 you know I have people?”  That was rather heady.

But would I like it all the time?

Would I want an office full of people ready to wait on my every need or telling me I needed to get back to work every time I looked out of the window?

Probably not. 

So how about you, Reds? Would you want a team? And who would be on it?

I think I’d settle for the personal chef.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: This is the most brilliant thing, Rhys!  I’ll add a posture coach, who pokes you from time to time and says: SIT UP STRAIGHT!  I’d adore a cheerleader, and oh, a plotting consultant.  And ditto on the chef. SOLD.

 (Oh, and an accountant. Walk in, hand over the receipts, done and done. See earlier post about taxes.) 

JENN McKINLAY: I’m that weird extrovert who likes to be alone most of the time, so I don’t know if I could handle a team. If I could have a team to take over the social media aspects of the gig  - that would be fabulous. I do it but I don’t love it. And I’m with Hank on the taxes. Could I just have someone do my daily accounting? That would be awesome! 

LUCY BURDETTE: I lOVE this idea Rhys! Yes on the personal chef, masseuse, and someone to do all the errands. Yes on help with social media! But I agree, I work better without anyone around so I’ll have to pass the person who’s hovering over to one of you!

Ps every once in a while, as I’m leaving the apartment I say to John “Please write a few pages.” That would be kind of fun if it was real!

HALLIE EPHRON: What I’d love Love LOVE is a chauffeur. Take me where I need to go. Manage figuring out where to park the car. Pick me up at the airport even if it’s 1 in the morning. Heaven. 

But really I do think we all HAVE teams. For me, a supportive husband who never questioned it when I quit my day job. Neighbors who (as we are speaking) are moving my empty garbage bins (that I forgot about) from the sidewalk to my backyard. Grandchildren who provide a laugh track to my life. Love my “team.” I know, I sound like a Goody Two-shoes, but that’s what I’m feeling like these days.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Yes to all of those Rhys, especially the personal chef! But like everyone else, I don't really want any of that support team AROUND. We must all be extrovert/introverts. I like the house to be quiet and I won't get any work done if I'm interrupted. But a virtual cheerleader and plotting consultant, and posture coach, would be great!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’m laughing at all of us who would love to have people taking care of us… as long as they stay out of sight! Who could I use? Someone to sweep and vacuum daily so I’m not annoyed by the sight of dog hair, cat hair, and bits of ash and bark - remember, I’m heating with a woodstove! (Of course, I’m not annoyed enough to actually DO the vacuuming myself until things get really dire.) A groundskeeper, who could tackle the three acres Ross left me so I can go outside and take inspiration from nature instead of wrestling with it (although the latter does leave me feeling murderous…)

Who would I’d like most on my team? A clever secretary/social media manager, so I don’t have to open my email inbox and groan - and who would ensure I never have to look at Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram etc. again!

RHYS: Ah, Julia... that is a team member I already have. Brilliant Lisa does handle my social media for me, except that I like to check my own Facebook page, only leaving it to Lisa to handle crazy spammers and strange African men for me (she's ruthless.)

 I agree with what the others have said. We are so lucky that we all have/have had supportive husbands. It makes a huge difference to have that cheerleader on your side.  And mine does cook sometimes. This would be even better if he didn't use 25 different pans and bowls and the kitchen didn't end up with flour on the floor.

And here is my best team! Advisers, cheerleaders, therapists and cooking experts all rolled into one.



So let's hear from you, dear friends. Who would you have on your team, or would you rather go it alone?

(And the winner of Edith's book is Meg. Please contact her at Edith@edithmaxwell.com)




49 comments:

  1. Alone is hard . . . my family is my team and I couldn't ask for a better one . . . .

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  2. When I started reading this post, Rhys, I thought, "But the Reds have each other!" Okay, not for chauffeuring or massages or social media-ing (or, heaven forbit, vacuuming), but certainly for inspiration and moral support and plotting help when asked, right?

    I have the Wicked Authors for the last three, too (celebrating ten years as a blog next month!). And I do have a remote assistant who does graphics and Instagram for me, and who leaves drafts of Facebook posts for me to put up when I want them up.

    But I could totally use the tax/daily accounting person. And the adviser who could magic ball which promotional efforts work and which don't. But nobody around when I'm writing!

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    1. (I should clarify that I do hire a tax person, but she doesn't come over and organize everything for me.)

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    2. Edith, sometimes after I've gathered up all my paperwork and meticulously put it in a spreadsheet and double checked all the mileage and expenses, I feel like my accountant has the easiest part of the job!

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    3. Edith, it is great to have a tax person who knows what they are doing! Diana

      Julia, it looks like the accountant has the easiest part of the job! Diana

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  3. I generally go at things alone but I have needed help in the recent past so completely alone seems like it would be a relative impossibility these days. Hell, even on my trivia team, we all have our areas of strength which is why we've now won 14 weeks in row.

    I definitely could use a money person, or I'd settle for a lot more money as an alternative.

    I was a coach, I don't need one. When I need to get stuff done, I usually mentally tell myself, "Hey dumbass, do you want to get paid? Then finish doing that review for Mystery Scene." or if it is music-related, "You got into that concert for free, do the damn review."

    As for the other options, eh...I'd take it on an as needed basis rather than have a standing list of people on payroll.

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    1. Jay, I'm pretty sure it was someone thinking like that who invented Task Rabbit!

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    2. Jay, kudos on those 14 weeks of winning!!

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  4. Social media and tax stuff. Otherwise, I'm OK.

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  5. I'm with Hallie on the chauffeur -- that would be bliss. And a cook, too. And an all-round assistant who would keep life running while I write and teach and go for a bike ride, coming home to dinner on the table. I could go for that.

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    1. Amanda, I think that assistant is called " a wife. " :-D

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    2. Yep. That has always been my position in our marriage. I call is "support services". Despite the fact that I, too, had my own business. Sigh.

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  6. When I used to write editorials, which are much shorter than a novel, I always wanted to be able to type as fast as my mind could think. Whether I would want a team for that – I doubt it because as well as the typing requirement, the thinking usually happens at 3 in the morning where (I think at the time) it is particularly brilliant, but hard to pull out of the fog as I sit in front of the computer in the morning. The need is there, but not the patience to put up with it. Maybe a traffic cop to stop the brain from going off on yet another tangent while my fingers are still trying to keep up with the last one. However, a bum and leg massager might be nice…or maybe just a better chair!
    I need the cooking to calm down and erase my brain, so as much as a pampering chef would be nice, and the fact that the food was there when I was h’angry – probably not.

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    1. Margo, I do a lot of dictating into my phone these days. It's much faster than typing for me, have you tried?

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  7. The older I get, the more I love my time in my kitchen. I know, it surprises me, too. It definitely has something to do with audiobooks, and listening while creating. So, if a quiet audiobook in your kitchen won't disturb you, I could be your personal chef. Don't worry about allergies or preferences, just tell me how it is and I can work around it! And, I bake delicious stuff, so, you better include exercise in your day or you'll be shopping for a bigger size in a couple months;>)

    As for all the other assistants, I'll take the chauffeur, please. Now that "The Fluff" has crossed that rainbow bridge 🌈, vacuuming once a week is more than enough. I can handle everything else for now, but a gardener would be nice.

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  8. My recent cancer diagnosis and surgery showed me I do have a team - all those wonderful "friends" who you don't know if they really are friends...until something happens and they all come out of the woodwork with messages of support. So wonderful.

    But I wouldn't say no to a personal chef. Just putting that out there. LOL

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    1. Liz, wishing you a full and speedy recovery (with the help of your wonderful team).

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    2. I was just thinking this, Liz, as I was reading people's responses... remembering the amazing team who took care of my Jerry. The doctors, interns, nurses, orderlies, and then the visiting nurses and home health care workers who helped us out at the house. AND my family and neighbors during that miserable time.

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    3. Count me in as part of your team, Liz/Mary. Sending healing thoughts.

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    4. Sending you healing thoughts and support, Liz. Plus, sending a little manifestation energy for you to get a personal chef. ;)

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    5. Thanks Flora, Karen, and Rhonda. And Rhonda, I'll keep wishing for that personal chef!

      Hallie, my medical team so far has been amazing. With only one exception (a slightly grouchy radiologist), everyone has been so kind, patient, and supportive. It really does make a huge difference when you feel your medical team is doing more than "their job."

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    6. A day late, but wish you the best on your recovery. I'm rooting for you.

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  9. A groundskeeper, my kingdom for a groundskeeper! That part about being able to sit outside and enjoy the view without ignoring all the work that needs doing. Sigh. Would love that. A housekeeper who comes in maybe once a week. Ditto a cook who delivers a bunch of food on Sundays--enough for a week's worth of meals. But my coach/cheerleader/etc? Already have. Family, friends, and blogs like JR--and let's not forget, the pets.

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    1. Love "my kingdom for a groundkeeper". That is a great quote!

      Diana

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    2. We actually save quite a bit of money getting two dinners a week from Hello Fresh. You still need to cook them though.

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  10. Like Hallie, I already have a team, too, and I hope I never take them for granted. My husband who did question me leaving the career through which we met even though we both knew it would've sent me for a bypass by now had I stayed. Now he's there for me to help however he can with my challenges, new and old. He's my Ride Or Die.

    My riding instructor with whom we came up with the term Barn Magic for the therapeutic smell of "horse" and invited me to come groom her senior pony during the first year of the pandemic. I also call it Pony Prozac.

    My friends who've offered to second my Ride or Die as driver when he's unavailable as we suss out the extent of this new turning point in my life.

    And my friend who turned into my editor who's just as invested in my characters as I am, even came up with a #Bennifer-type name for the slow burn romance subplot.

    I could go on and on--wait, I just did. And doing this helped with my previously gloomy mood. So, thank you, Reds, for this chance to experience a gratitude practice.

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    1. What a great team, Rhonda! ( Rhys)

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  11. I have to agree with Hallie about the chauffeur. I don't drive at night and I don't like driving on super highways so I used to say, back when I was still teaching, that if I ever win the lottery I will continue to work but I would have a chauffeur, someone ready, at a moment's notice to take me wherever I wanted to go. He, or she would be just as fine, would not only keep my car immaculate but would carry all of my stuff up and down the stairs.

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  12. Rhonda, that is exactly how horses affect me! My husband always said I would smile for days after a riding lesson. They have a way of calming the soul.

    When I took care of my post-knee surgery daughter last month for two weeks, she had quite the team. Coworkers and friends dropped by with food and libations, and flowers galore, plus lifted her spirits in ways I couldn't. One friend lent her an "ice cube" machine--that I kept filled with ice, day and night, to facilitate healing. Another friend sent her a DoorDash certificate for the day after surgery so I didn't have to leave her in search of food. We stayed in one friend's second home, and another lent us their third car for the duration. And of course I did whatever cooking needed doing.

    Robin never had to quit working, except for the day of and the day after surgery, even on the way to and from doctor's appointments and rehab, because she was on conference calls while I drove her there. Which added up to 700 miles in two weeks. Now that's a team position we could all use! Travel is unavoidable, but like Hank's quiet car train, having a chauffeur makes that time so much more efficient.

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    1. Karen in Ohio,

      What a great team!

      Diana

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    2. Did Robin have a knee replacement, Karen?

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    3. No, it was repair as a result of a wicked ski accident, and the binding on her ski didn't release. She tore her MCL, ACL, and knicked the miniscus, so lucky not to have torn that, too.

      And she had torn the ACL on the other knee four years ago!

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    4. Karen, I don't know what it is about horses. Equine assisted learning creator Linda Kohanov can quote the science of how they're so good for us, but also, when you know, you know. :)

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  13. I just want a private bookkeeper/secretary. Someone to pay the bills, balance the checkbook, file away the necessary receipts, discard the others. Paper is the bane of my existence.

    And I want somebody to unload and put away the groceries, and clean the fridge of the ones I forgot, maybe once a week. And a laundress wouldn't hurt.

    Long ago (maybe in the late Eighties?), a group of us local gals, all published fiction writers, started to get together once a month to eat, imbibe, and know we were not alone. The local female fiction writers' equivalent of a bar association. We all wrote in different genres, came to each other's signings, sometimes phoned each other in between-- but mostly just met once a month for some 20 or 25 years. Go team pro writer!

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  14. Oh, yes, please housekeeper on a daily basis! And a personal chef wouldn't be bad, either. Such lovely fantasies.

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  15. Great post!

    Personally, I think a team can mean different things. A team of fellow authors like Jungle Red Writers? Reading the post this morning, my first thought was a team of makeup artists and stylists setting up for a photo shoot. A team of stylists? A team of Sign Language interpreters? A team of people who support your writing career like family, friends, editors, agents, and publishers?

    Who would be on my team? A secretary who would take phone messages for me. Yikes, some people STILL do not use text messaging. A computer wizard. A massage therapist for when my muscles ache from writing my novel for hours. Thinking of how to balance between my privacy and accepting help.

    Though I am pretty social, I like my privacy.

    Diana

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    1. I’ve had a make up team for several professional photo shoots, Diana, and I really don’t enjoy sitting in that chair for so long, not moving my face! (Rhys)

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    2. Rhys, with your beautiful peaches and cream skin, you do not need makeup.

      Totally understand not wanting to sit in the chair for so long, not moving your face.

      Diana

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  16. I would love to have someone (or some people) to cook and to do every aspect of cleaning that needs to be done. I haven’t been able to keep up with it for a long time now. Sigh…

    DebRo

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  17. Trainer, posture, and massage all sound great to me.

    And if any of you want an accountant, I'm open to discussions. However, I don't do taxes. (Biggest stress at my job is the quarter tax stuff I have to figure out, and I'm not in the tax department. I don't get why I am doing it and not them.)

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  18. A memory coach that will guide me -- like the 20th Century Admin assistant who was in charge of mind and body. Cleaning elves aka shoemakers elves who will cook and clean while I am asleep.
    I am blessed with a very supportive team in Tampa, they keep me happy and active. Kudos especially to Amy, who keeps me grounded.

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  19. A personal chef would be my first choice of a support team, closely followed by a weekly housekeeper. I have had help with the house before, and it is wonderful. I would also want a trainer, a nice one who doesn't yell at me or call me lazy. The trainer would set up an exercise routine for me and be there at least part of the time to see that I carry it out. But, I'm like so many others in that I don't really want people hovering over me, so I'd have to figure out a minimum amount of face-time with them.

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  20. A day late, I have a wonderful online support team who was there when I needed them and still do. What is miss is going to see Broadway shows, visiting museums and walking around the city, so having a chauffeur would be awesome and for walking one of those bike tram thing for seeing things up close.

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  21. I actually like being alone with myself at the computer when I'm writing, with no one reminding me to do anything. And my husband makes up my team for the most part: In a loose way, we've evolved to splitting household chores, and he often cooks dinner, and he handles the taxes, as he loves to crunch numbers.(Former engineer turned photographer.)

    When I'm finished writing, I actually find my own chores or cooking a good way to unwind. And we walk everywhere, as well as taking a little promenade at the end of the day, finishing at a cafe for a glass of wine before dinner. Lots of flowers and tree-lined streets that are restful on the eyes as we walk along. What I COULD enjoy is the professional massage after sitting for long periods. (Maybe I DO need someone to remind me to sit up straight, lol.)

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  22. My husband has my back in so many ways (but not posture correction!) and my sister Natasha is my cheerleader. But if I could have one more team member, I'd give anything for someone to do ALL .promotion-related tasks, so I could just work on writing books. But no complaints--I'm lucky.

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    1. Yes, now that you mention it, when I think of it, I could so use someone to do all the promotional stuff! I'm not good at it at all. Seriously not good at it. Sigh.

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