It wasn’t my fault, any storyteller will understand. The problem is the 99% of the population (the readers and, in particular, those who have to live with the writer) when s/he becomes possessed.
You see there was a great battle, insurmountable odds, a powerful foe – not my fault that it happened on a weekend.
My emerging protagonist faced a terrible choice, needed to test her principles and – yes, I know it is a big religious festival, one of the most important days of the year for our family.
How would he cope with her death? How would he face the future without her and how would that change him? – Ah, grandparents, an aunt and cousin. Did you just arrive? Three hours ago…oops.
“Hey Dad – this is a FAMILY vacation!”
Usually the wife understands and can ground herself with a self-indulgent, if thoroughly deserving roll of the eyes. The kids think it is perfectly normal, or blatantly funny neither of which stops them from making fun of me.
I once sat engrossed at my desk (my back is to the front door), turned around and there were five kids, only one was mine, standing staring at me. The play date was at our house and five parents had dropped their kids off safe in the knowledge that a responsible parent was watching over them…yes, my wife was in the house. However, I think I learned how an exotic animal in the zoo feels, the children gawking and pointing. I’m surprised no one offered to feed me a peanut…probably worried about allergies.
At height of a battle, I once wrote five thousand words in one day. Apparently, I managed to snap at each member of my family who had the audacity to disturb me by asking for such trivial things as food, help with homework, to drive a child to a play date I had previously agreed to do.
The scary part is that I have absolutely no knowledge of those interactions. Why would I? I was in the middle of a battle and you can’t just step out to make scrambled eggs. Imagine Eragon in the middle of a great fight needing a time out to dragonpool a group of offspring to soccer practice. I guess now we know why so few fantasy heroes have kids…and why so many parents write about fantasy heroes!
What preceded the carpool?
Apparently, I don’t even have to be writing to disappear. It happens on road trips (I wish to thank the other driver’s consideration in avoiding me, by the way – I am not sure this can happen in the city). It happens on a coffee date with Mrs. Elfwriter and inevitably on a hike into the redwoods.
Before I began writing At The Walls Of Galbrieth and the Wycaan Master series, I wrote a Pagan novel (A Gardener’s Tale) and two social justice-themed books (The Accidental Activist and Unwanted Heroes). While I became thoroughly invested in all my characters and the challenges they faced, I don’t recall that I disappeared. Still, I’m not sure how much I do remember when this sort of thing happens.
Still, I am relieved to know that I am not alone. Terry Brooks admits he is not all here… Dad’s gone away again…although he admits that most of those close to him think he is weird.
I do suspect this is easier to explain when you are an A-list author like Terry Brooks. I think he is most likely to be fondly considered eccentric. For the rest of us, unfortunately, we are the ones people think are truly weird.
It’s a good thing that we are totally unaware when they stare and snigger. It’s a good thing we disappear…
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Alon Shalev is the author of the 2013 Eric Hoffer YA Book Award winner, At The Walls of Galbrieth, The First Decree, and Ashbar – Wycaan Master Book 3 – all released by Tourmaline Books. Shalev is also the author of three social justice-themed novels including Unwanted Heroes. He swears there is a connection. More at http://www.alonshalev.com and on Twitter (@elfwriter). Hang out with Alon on Google+
Filed under: Humor, Writing Process Tagged: A Gardener's Tale, A-list, Alon Shalev, Ashbar – Wycaan Master Book 3, At The Walls of Galbrieth, author, coffee date, dragonpool, Eragon, Eric Hoffer Book Award, exotic animal, fantasy heroes, grandparents, Mrs. Elfwriter, Pagan, peanut, peanut allergies, play date, protagonist, redwoods, responsible parent, road trips, scrambled eggs, soccer practice, social justice, storyteller, Terry Brooks, The Accidental Activist, The First Decree, Tourmaline Books, Unwanted Heroes, Wycaan Master series, zoo 
