Wish list for next 10 years
of life:
By Terry Shames
At Left Coast Crime last week
I was on a panel that I instigated called It's Now or Never: Late in Life Authors & Protagonists. We
were a panel of women who were either “older”
when we started our writing careers or wrote books about older protagonists.
Apparently the organizers couldn’t find men in that category—or at least not
men who would admit to being older. Not only do I write a protagonist who is “late
life,” but I am an (ahem) older author. So looking ten years in the future is
hazy. I certainly I hope I’m still around and enjoying life in ten years, but I
have to be realistic—in the past few years I have had a few friends with
serious illnesses, and a few who died; and they didn’t die young.
There’s another element
to this “wish list.” I have had a wonderful, amazing life. I have reached many
goals that I never thought were attainable. So it almost feels profligate to
wish for more. So the things I wish for are few, if not simple:
1)
Continued good health. I have been ridiculously lucky with my
health (where’s the wood?). I work out and eat well—but as well all know, that
doesn’t guarantee anything. I few years ago a surgery gone bad left me with
permanent damage in my dominant arm and hand. It’s a small problem, and one I
can cope with. But it made me aware of the risky business that we call life.
2)
Write many more books. I hope my creative side doesn’t wane. I
think of people like Ruth Rendell, who published up to the end of her long
life. Not that I can compare myself to her in terms of her writing, but I’d
like to think I can continue to come up with good stories that entertain
people.
3)
Wait! I said simple. Well, this one is a little more ambitious: More
travel for pleasure. I realized recently that becoming a published author meant
less travel just for fun, and a lot of travel for business—not that it isn’t
fun; but it’s different. I want to go to the Galapagos Islands. I want to go
back to Africa. I want to see Budapest and Prague, and Vienna. Iceland. And another trip to see my beloved
Florence, where I was fortunate to live for 18 months.
4)
Another one that isn’t so simple: I
want to sell a lot more books. I want to be more “successful.” It’s a daunting
task to promote and write at the same time. I envy those writers who began
being published when they were younger. They not only have a lot more time
ahead of them to write a wide range of books, but they also are more savvy
about the world of technology and the world of marketing and promotion. And
even if they don’t know much about it, they have plenty of time to learn. I
always feel as if I’m playing catch-up, trying to write all the books I have
swimming in my head, and still having to figure out how the world of promotion
works.
Luv!!!
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Inspiring piece - and it was super to see you in Reno, and to be on that panel which you moderated so well.
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