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Life of a Writer Mom Column
Fantasy Versus Reality by Carla Charter Back when I started down this writing road, I had a picture in my mind of what it would be like when I became an "author." I'm sure some of my readers have had the same fantasy. In my dream, I would get up and have a leisurely cup of tea in my spotless sunlit study. Maybe even have time to pen a few words. After getting all the children onto the bus, spotless and smiling of course, I would return to my office and flip on my brand new laptop to check my e-mail. Among the messages would be several glowing e-letters from fans, writing how much my latest novel had touched them. Another is from a previously unknown editor offering me a six figure sum, for a book yet to be written. Then there are those notes from the television and radio stations begging for interviews at my earliest convenience. It was a nice little dream. Well I'm getting closer to that "author" title. That though is where my dream and my reality diverge sharply. In real life I wake up, shut the alarm off, only to have my eyes flip open 45 minutes before the buses arrive. Tearing out of bed, I start rousing the troops, not with Reville but with my loudest voice announcing, "Get out of bed, You're going to miss the bus!" Next comes the bathroom shuffle. Five people needing the facilities of one bathroom within the same timeframe. It is not pretty. I'm sure you get the picture. As the last child is drying off, I realize I'm short one pair of pants. As I run by the bathroom closet, the laundry waiting to be done waves at me. I make it to the dryer in record time. I open the dryer only to discover it never got turned on and the clothes in it are still wet. I sprint back up the stairs and discover a pair of army type camouflage pants in the back of the boys' bureau drawer. I hand them to my youngest and he puts them on. I take a minute to look at the overall picture he creates. It is not good. The child looks like Oliver Twist. Understand that he is small for his age so sometimes no matter how hard I try, he has that look to him. I roll the pants up a bit and the look improves. While he's brushing his teeth, I go to check on my middle child, Hal. On my way through from the dryer I had handed him a bowl of cereal and a cup of juice for breakfast. Hal is found sitting in the middle of a large pile of plastic dinosaurs, breakfast untouched. "Hal, what are you doing?" I said to him. "Looking for the perfect show and tell," he said innocently. I hand him the cereal and juice. "Eat, now. The clock is ticking here people!" About now, the phone rings. My high schooler who has gotten herself on the bus in the middle of this bedlam is on the line. Her English project, which is due today, sits on the desk in her room. Can I drop it off? Despite the rush, everyone makes it to the bus stop and the English paper is at school. Finally back home I turn my second-hand computer on. And off. And on again. I do this four or five times until the computer grudgingly comes to life. In my e-mail is a note that an article I queried about was accepted. By the way, could I have it ready in a week? Another from an editor asking me about next month's article, the one I haven't even thought about yet. Then there's the pile of phone messages sitting on my desk that need to be returned. All from those reporters I seem to be playing telephone tag with. I take a sigh, and sip a cup of tea from my favorite mug, a gift from my youngest at Christmas. I look around at my small put-together office in the corner of the living room. It really was a nice dream! Carla Charter is mom to Samantha (12), Halden (5), and Mathew (4). In addition to being a mom, Carla is a freelance writer specializing in newspaper and magazine journalism. Among her publication credits are Woman's World, American Indian Report and New England Business Journal. Online she has been published in Scubasource.com and Military.com. She teaches creative writing courses at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, Ma. Recently her novel Across Lots has been serialized at http://www.newenglandwow.com. She may be reached at cjfreelancewriter@earthlink.net. |
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