It's Monday--Shall We Dance?

Do you ever read a book, lean back with a sigh, and think, "God, I wish I'd written that"? Well, yeah, I think we all do. Most of us are writers. We're book people. But it just occurred to me (something had to--this is my day to blog, after all) that there are different reasons for wishing we'd written something. Some of my favorites, like Mary Balogh and Kristan Higgins and Pam Morsi, leave me just flat-out jealous. I am so envious of their talent, it comes pretty close to breaking a commandment--you know, one of the Ten.

Susan Sarandon & Richard Gere
Occasionally, when I've read a bestseller, I look at a recent royalties statement and wish I'd written the bestseller simply because it made a lot of money. I don't think I'm overly greedy. But some, yes, certainly. That's not another commandment, but I do think it's one of the Seven Deadlies and I just committed it. Not for the first time, I might add.

There have even been occasions when I've read a bad book and thought maybe it wouldn't be bad to have written that. After all, no one had to work at it. The writer didn't, the editor didn't. That doesn't happen often because I seldom finish a book I don't like. Life's too short.

But then there are times...

Yesterday, I was sewing, and I watched Shall We Dance for the many-eth time. I laughed, I lusted after Richard Gere, I wanted to look like Susan Sarandon, I wanted to dance like Jennifer Lopez, and then I cried a little, smiling at the same time. I did this when I was all by myself in the room.

And I felt great. I felt relaxed. I was happy. And that's my best reason of all. I wish I'd written Shall We Dance so that I could make people feel the way I felt yesterday afternoon.

Comments

  1. I hope some have enjoyed my novels but I had the most feedback from writing columns. When someone says something you wrote that gave them the courage to seek help for lifelong depression caused by incest or motivated them to seek out a dying parent from whom they been estranged...then wrote back to tell you later what a freeing experience it was....that is the most wonderful feeling for a writer. That "I made a difference in someone's life" feeling.

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    1. I absolutely agree with that--there's nothing better. A review from ONE MORE SUMMER said "This book had to be one of the most 'healing' books in my life." It made my day then and just now, looking that up on Goodreads, it made it again. We are lucky people, are we not?

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  2. Honestly? No. I'm so happy writing what I write that I could care less what anyone else is working on or done. :)

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  3. I love that movie. Fool's Gold and Dirty Dancing give me that feeling...every time I watch it for the many-eth time. lololol

    And I do sometimes wish I had the same give for dialogue or setting or character that my favorite authors do...and I hope that somewhere my books are giving someone that 'ahhhh' feeling when they read The End.

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    1. They are, Kristi. They are. I love DIRTY DANCING, too, but since Patrick Swayze died, it makes me more sad than glad. :-(

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  4. Usually I get that feeling in just a short passage. A spin on a phrase or something beautifully lyrical.

    The only book I think I've ever loved so much that I wish I'd had the genius and talent to write is The Princess Bride. The movie is wonderful but it all begins with the book and I am in awe of William Goldman for creating it.

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    1. I like it then, too, when it's just "little" only not. I remember Julia Sugarbaker's holding forth scenes on Designing Women and how pumped I always was after seeing them.

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  5. I wish I could've written the Scandal series. Shonda Rhymes is awesome!

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    1. I don't know it, but good writing is such a grab. Say the words Aaron Sorkin and I'm yours.

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