HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: You’d think the Edgar-winning Naomi Hirahara (a longtime friend of the Reds) would be nothing but happy.
Have you read her new CLARK AND DIVISION? (Look at that cover!) It is, ahem, getting some attention. Just scroll through this little list:
A Parade Magazine 101 Best Mystery Books of All Time
A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice
A Washington Post Best Mystery and Thriller of 2021
Barnes & Noble Best Books of 2021
Amazon Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2021
2021 ABA Indie Next List Genre Gift Guide
An ABA IndieNext Pick
A BookPage Best Mystery & Thriller of 2021
Bustle's Most Anticipated Books
An Apple Best Books of the Month
An Amazon Best of the Month for Mystery/Thriller
And the incredible Sarah Weinman, in the New York Times book Review, had some thoughts: “Searing . . . This is as much a crime novel as it is a family and societal tragedy, filtering one of the cruelest examples of American prejudice through the prism of one young woman determined to assert her independence, whatever the cost.”
And so, Reds and Readers, as I mentioned, you’d think the Edgar-winning Naomi Hirahara (a longtime friend of the Reds) would be nothing but happy. But, alas, she says she needs your help with some stuff. And by stuff, she means...stuff.
Help Wanted for a Messy Writer
By Naomi Hirahara
These past couple of days, after watching a slew of cleaning/minimalist/organizational youtube gurus, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s an underserved market: still messy Golden Girls who also happen to be writers/researchers/educators. In other words, me.
Over the decades, I’ve purchased various self-improvement books with the word, “messy,” in the title. I would tell you the exact titles, but I can’t seem to find them behind an avalanche of books. I read Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and nearly had a heart attack when she advised to throw most of it away. Doesn’t she realize that those pamphlets collected at research sites, thoughts on a yellow Post-It note or printout of some delicious detail can be someday be the perfect basis for my next brilliant novel?
Of course, I have segued to the digital age in some matters. During the pandemic I finally transitioned to Google calendar from a paper date book. It’s less fun to look at, but much easier to access from either my phone and my computer. And I now rely on Evernote to file away pertinent website links in digital notebooks, a great way to track details for present and future books. So I’ve somehow decreased the steady stream of paper that enters our house and home office.
But that still doesn’t address the moving boxes full of research files that I’ve been collecting the past 35 years! And also piles of books that don’t have a space on my existing bookshelves. Over the past five years, I’ve been trying to trim my library collection. It’s been tough.
There are books I haven’t read but hope too. And books I’ve read and remind me of a certain seminal time of my life. There are books written by friends which have been inscribed to me. Before the pandemic, I regularly packed a couple of books in a backpack for dog walks and left them in a free library at a local playhouse, hoping that maybe one of the books would inspire a theater adaptation.
On Black Friday I ordered two additional bookcases from Wayfair and plan to reorganize my books throughout my house. We have four bookcases in the living room, one in the kitchen just for cookbooks, one in the upstairs hallway for my husband’s sports book collection, three in the office, and two in the bedroom. The Wayfair bookcases will go on my side of the bedroom. Hopefully that will eliminate any piles on the floor. ((ed note: HA!)
The morning that I’m writing this, I finally went through several bowls and containers that held notes and business cards.
Why was I hanging on to this stuff, when I can now easily find contact information on the Internet? No need to hold each one and see if it sparked joy. Not to mention that in many cases, the business cards were not current. Now I have eight empty bowls, baskets and containers to fill!
I’ve come to you, followers of the Jungle Reds Writers, for additional help. I need to declutter paper, specifically boxes of research that I’ve collected for future books. Any advice for me? How can I incorporate a system without extinguishing the spark of creativity and imagination?
HANK: You’re asking me? As I said above: HA HA HA. Although, actually, I did just realize I don’t need to save the bills I pay after getting them in the mail. That was GREAT. (I know, soon I’ll get them all online. It’s a process.)
And I have donated many many books, by saying: I’ll fill TWO bags, then stop. It makes the job less onerous.
How about you, Reds and readers?
***
Naomi Hirahara is an Edgar Award-winning author of multiple traditional mystery series and noir short stories. Her Mas Arai mysteries, which have been published in Japanese, Korean and French, feature a Los Angeles gardener and Hiroshima survivor who solves crimes. Her first historical mystery is Clark and Division, which follows a Japanese American family’s move to Chicago in 1944 after being released from a California wartime detention center. Her second Leilani Santiago Hawai‘i mystery, An Eternal Lei, is scheduled to be released in 2022. A former journalist with The Rafu Shimpo newspaper, Naomi has also written numerous non-fiction history books and curated exhibitions. She has also written a middle-grade novel, 1001 Cranes. For more information, go to www.naomihirahara.com.
Oh, goodness, “Clark and Division” sounds amazing, Naomi. Congratulations on all the great reviews . . . .
ReplyDeleteI’m probably not the one to ask for decluttering advice [I assiduously ignore that “throw it away” advice], but I think I’d take the papers in those boxes of research and scan them to create accessible files on my computer. It’s probably a gargantuan task if you have a lot of boxes, but it may be beneficial in the long run . . . .
You know the interesting thing--I used to have a lot more files than I do now. BecauseI started thinking: do I even know what's in here? And since I often really didn't , I thought--why would I even look here? And if I needed research info on something--wouldn't I just Google it? ANd I started throwing like mad.
DeleteThere's also a matter of digital clutter--have to create a good system for that, too!
DeleteI’m trying to figure it all out myself. My sister spent several hours with me today (Wednesday) helping me declutter just one corner of my kitchen, and there’s so much more to do! Between the two of us, we made about eight trips out to my condo dumpsters, and as I said, there’s so much more to do! A few months ago I put aside trying to organize paperwork because I was getting ready to have knee replacement surgery, and I was too distracted to think about organizing anything. Then I forgot all about the paperwork organizing when I had some complications after the surgery. Sigh. The paperwork is next on the agenda. Well, after the kitchen and living rooms are reorganized. I dread it, because I have to fight the mindset that “I need these papers.” I’m retired from working for a municipal office, where we were required by law to save EVERYTHING for at least fifteen years, and then needed permission from the state to destroy paperwork. I think that’s where I developed the mindset that “I need these papers.”
ReplyDeleteDebRo
Good luck Debs, and hope you are feeling 100%!
DeleteYeah, that's very wise to realize. YOU are the boss now, and WHY do you really need it? (Hoping you are recovered now!!)
DeleteMy husband is a guidance counselor for a public high school and he also abides by the rule that nothing can be destroyed. I'm trying to concentrate on my mess of papers, but you can bet that I'm eyeing his stacks, too!
DeleteYes, how are you doing, Deb?
DeleteNaomi, sneak into his stacks of paper!
DeleteFor those who asked: tests determine that I do have nerve damage in my foot. It’s frustrating, as different things I do aggravate it. I’m trying to avoid surgery. I’ve been sent to two other doctors so far and am now in the middle of being referred to a neurologist. Medication hasn’t helped. As I said, I don’t want surgery, which I’m told is not 100 percent successful, and takes longer to recover from than knee replacement. Just counting my blessings that I’m in good shape, other than this.
DebRo
I am in serious need of decluttering help. A friend just asked if I was willing to rent my spare room to him. In theory, that sounds great. But the thought of all the work I'd have to do to get my stuff out of the spare room. Much less what I would do with all of the other stuff I have around the condo....
ReplyDeleteYes, once it starts stacking up, it's more difficult. Maybe--tell yourself you're going to do JUST the books. Or JUST the clothing. You'll be SO happy!
DeleteHaving people in your home can definitely inspire a round of cleanup. Since we've been more isolated during the pandemic, I don't think we can clearly see the clutter.
DeleteI am the very worst person to ask about this. I actually have a file cabinet in the hall outside my office door. The stack of unfiled papers on top of it is almost a foot tall and starting to list toward the wall. I'm a bit better about gleaning books - except research books - and business cards.
ReplyDeleteI loved Clark and Division! I think you said somewhere there will be a sequel? I hope so!
It'll be so much fun if you give yourself an hour to file--and throw! YOU'll be so pleased with yourself...
DeleteWorking on the follow-up, EVERGREEN, now. I'm entering a sprint in a minute!
DeleteAwesome, Naomi. Sprints rock..
DeleteNAOMI: I am also not a good person to ask about getting rid of research and book clutter!
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed Clark and Division. I found their story especially poignant since I am a nisei, Japanese-Canadian.
Like you, I have managed to better organize my digital notes and also use Google Calendar and Evernote but I still have copies of all my Environment Canada-author publications and some research notes from those projects in my apartment.
When I was recently searching for some office supplies for a friend asking for overhead transparencies (remember those?), I found some old Powerpoint presentations from the early 1990s...yikes! Each slide was colour-laser printed on those clear transparencies for a presentation to a seniors group interested in climate change.
And I have 22 bookcases in my 2-bedroom apartment, so I can't help you whittle down your book collection. I have several TBR MOUNTAINS that I will probably never read in my lifetime. i believe the Japanese term for that is "tsundoku", right. Tsundoku means you keep acquiring new books without ever reading them. Yup, that is me.
So, I am also hoping one of the Reds (or reader) will provide a brilliant suggestion to help both of us with our paper/research clutter!
I should mention that I have 3 short stacks of books on the floor beside my laptop and desk right now: the short stack of books I plan to read this month, a smaller pile of borrowed library books that I need to read/return this month, and a few duplicate books that I plan to donate to the Little Library in my neighbourhood.
DeleteThat's not so bad, right? LOL
I guess the question is:WHY do I need these? If I needed the info hey contain, could I NEVER get that unless I had this? Will I ever ever use it again? How many of theses ((fill in the blanks)) do I have, and how many do I really need? It's difficult! But it is SO great when it's gone. SO GREAT!
DeleteOh, why did I have a Borders membership card attached to my key chain when it's been out of business for years! (I got rid of it before the pandemic.) Same goes with the Blockbuster card. And yes, tsundoku!
DeleteNAOMI: Ha ha, ok you are worse than I am. Things like defunct membership cards are long gone.
DeleteAnd in my defense, I can claim that all the books in 18 (out of the 22) bookcases have been read. It's just the other 4 that I don't seem to be making any progress in finishing.
Is there a way to scan the documents? This way you wouldn't have to get rid of your cache of research.
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely! But you are right, it's a pain. ANd then, I always wonder, how often would anyone really look a t it? Sometimes it's so linked to the effort it took to get it, you know? And after all, the result of the research, the paper or whatever, is there, and it contains the important stuff. Sometimes I think we keep the background info to prove to ourselves how much work we did. :-)
DeleteHANK: That's true, all that background research data and papers are there to remind us of the huge effort we put in to write that book (or research report). Fortunately, I did purge several filing cabinets worth of background literature review/raw data files during my move from Toronto to Ottawa.
DeleteThat's POWER! xx
DeleteNo help here, Naomi, sorry:-( The hoarding gene is on both sides of the family. My mother's sister had such a hazardous situation in her apartment that the management threatened to toss her out. My father's sister had 1000 plastic containers from the deli, just at the family cottage, until my cousin and I took the place apart a few years ago and decluttered. My husband comes from the "throw it away" side of his family so, we gave away about 100 books last Spring. He keeps putting things aside for me to "go through." But sometimes he just tosses it. Sorry. Can't help you.
ReplyDelete(Oh dear, how rude!) Welcome to JRW and congratulations on all the super reviews of your book. It's on my list of must reads!
wow 1000 plastic containers--that wins some kind of awful prize...
DeleteOh, gosh those are hard to thrown away. I allow myself to keep only as many as will fit in one stack. 1000 of them is more than "declutter." Yikes. xxx
DeleteWow, 1000 deli plastic containers?! Was she planning on using them or it that just a hoarding instinct?
DeleteShe used the containers, Grace, but she didn't need that many, obviously. It isn't a restaurant, after all, it's a cottage.
DeleteI’m a ruthless declutter! After helping sort through my in-laws home about 10 years ago I pledged that my kids were NOT going to have that experience. The best advice I have is to detach yourself emotionally before beginning any decluttering then get ruthless. Bills are all available online now so my filing cabinet is a lot less full. Photos have been painfully digitized. Clothing that I haven’t worn for a season goes to charity. I still have a long way to go before we downsize in maybe ten years but I’m getting there!
ReplyDeleteEMILY: I had 3 days to clear out my late dad's retirement suite in Toronto, so I know I can be ruthless. I filled 4 huge dumpsters but it was his stuff, not mine. It was easy to throw out 30 years of quarterly bank statements but I also did toss tens of thousands of B&W & colour family photographs he took. I had no time to go through them all and not enough room to pack them into my luggage for the flight back.
DeleteDetaching myself emotionally to get rid of my stuff is definitely harder, especially when it comes to books and my own research publications and references. But I have been more successful in doing a purge of my kitchen and bathroom clutter, as well as work clothes that I have not worn in over 5 years.
Yes, Emily, I think of that--what will someone think if they open this drawer after I'm gone? That's pretty powerful incentive... :-)
DeleteClearly, clutter=genius, Naomi! Keep the clutter! Just kidding about the clutter, can't wait to read Clark and Division and seriously, you have multiple series published and I've missed them all?? I need to declutter my brain and concentrate here!
ReplyDeleteI'm with the others on scanning in your research--hire a young person to do this because you will pick up a piece of information, then another and be inspired by an idea and drift off to start writing and the task will end there. Seriously, though, there is something about tactile inspiration--holding that paper, that note, that article cut from a newspaper, magazine, and remembering, feeling that stirring of a story. It reminds me of Twyla Tharp, who kept a box for each of her ballets as she created them--each box was filled with the things that inspired her.
Yes, clutter - genius!
DeleteOh, that's a very lovely story about Twyla Tharp. And that's NOT clutter, right? That's organized.
DeleteI've been a genius so long that I'm getting weary. Strange that I'm finally seeking to tame the clutter now that I'm on the cusp of my golden years!
DeleteWell, you are deciding what's important, right?
DeletePaper is ubiquitous! My current beef is with catalogs--every year this time they start coming in the mail. I stack the ones I don't want and then spend half an hour or so on the Catalog Choice site asking that they stop sending them. What a waste of trees.
ReplyDeleteI read something once about the cost of hanging onto stuff, and bookcases are just one expense. All those companies that provide filing systems, and folders, and shelving, and storage units are counting on us keeping "important" papers and other items. CDs, for instance. I used to have several containers for them, all purchased, and now no longer needed. My last couple computers don't even have a way to use them.
Like Emily, I had to clean out my in-laws' home, where my mother-in-law had stored financial records and other paperwork dating back to 1937! Then I realized I also had tax records and other paper from my own adult life, so I gathered it all together, including boxes of research for several books and articles, and took two entirely full Honda Accords of paper to the drive-in paper recycling center. Then we had to do the same thing when we dismantled my husband's family business studio, where bills, correspondence, and copies of a million articles were stored in dozens of filing cabinets and boxes, dating back to the 1950s. Every week for a couple months we filled entire recycling wheelies with that old paper. And like Judy's aunt, there were hundreds of containers like old pie tins and margarine tubs, that were once used to prepare food for the animals (wildlife photographers do that kind of thing).
Now I keep a couple of files of important (really important) papers, plus four plastic bins of the last seven years' worth of tax returns and supporting data. Steve still has his business, so I have to keep receipts and stuff. Then every year I get rid of the oldest year's returns, and shred it and recycle it. My desk has two piles on it: unpaid bills, and paid bills that are filed and waiting for tax time. Those papers will get filed away with this year's return for seven years. I think at this point I could get away with only saving three years' worth, but I don't want to get too carried away.
Good luck, Naomi. You're going to get bruised in the process, but it's worth wrestling the mess to the ground, I promise.
CATALOGS! SO awful. And apparently unstoppable. And remember, the info on paid bills is ALL online. ALL. (Unless you are marking it up for tax time.)
DeleteI'm already feeling better tossing old papers and magazines that have been ignored in moving boxes. And yes on getting rid of those financial papers. I'm trying to get into a habit of shredding papers from seven years ago as we enter the new year.
DeleteAnd it's such a great feeling! BEGONE! Shredioso!
Delete(Hi, Naomi!) Clark and Division - Congratulations! Putting it on my TBR list. Come to my house and you won't feel so bad about the piles/books/papers in yours.
ReplyDeleteIt's part of our JOB, though, Hallie. I mean--writers are a different breed with different necessities. Like--I have a LOT of pencils. :-)
DeleteCongrats on all the great response to your book, Naomi! It's on my TBR pile. I'm not good at clutter either, but one thing helped. I read about a free shredding event near home. We had one hour to load the Subaru with boxes of papers--and we did. Such a great feeling! we haven't missed one page yet.
ReplyDeleteSO great to have free shredding! Oh, and that's very reassuring that you havent missed any of it. I'm not surprised!
DeleteI wish we had a place offering free shredding. I finally burnt out the motor on my personal shredder when I was in a shredding frenzy earlier this year!
DeleteCongratulations on your latest publication!
ReplyDeleteWe have an annual village recycling day, usually in early May. During the year, I fill designated garage shelves in preparation: old paint cans, electronics, chemicals, batteries, and paper Trader Joe's bags filled with documents and old bills to be shredded. I'm the opposite of Jeffery Deaver, whose research materials are catalogued as part of his book outline. I have a messy stack of printouts and news articles for background information.
Well, writers, you know? xx
DeleteI love the concept of a village!
DeleteWEll, here's a few things that I've been doing (or at least thinking about). But like nearly everyone else here, I'm a hopeless and helpless accumulator and hoarder.
ReplyDelete1. Taking pictures helps. Lately I've been carting lovely things that no longer Spark Joy to a local charity shop. But first, I take nice shots of them, partly to honour their existance, and also to remind me where they went... (as in, Hmmm, I haven't seen that vase lately; where could I have put it?)
2. Scanning manuscripts. I have many many old typewritten MSS (unpubbed) from my early writing days, and I keep saying, WTF? What are these things doing taking up space in my closet. Who even knew they were there? And so, I've found that my printer/photocopier/scanner can do a continuous feed quite nicely (though it's still old Pica typing...) so I can just save the pdf files, not the paper. Okay, I still have to ditch the paper, but at least I've made a start.
GREAT ideas! Yes, love this. And the photos, that's brilliant. I also--and don;t tell--think it's very helpful to say goodbye and thank you to a thing. Go go, little coat, and make someone else happy.
DeleteSusan, great idea on taking photos of the things you're passing along. I am sure I've searched high and low for things that were donated long, long ago, or yesterday...but forgot:-))
DeleteI can't be certain, Naomi, but I think you might be asking the wrong crowd!
ReplyDeleteI've got five file cabinets in various states of filled up and most of the papers in them have been scanned. My notes fill notebooks and various bits of paper and when possible, have their own home in One Note. That said, I keep my clutter to a minimum when it comes to the "stuff" I collect and I am very good about donated read books.
Congratulations on Clark and Division - sounds like a great read and very deserving of the buzz.
Kait, I was thinking JUST the same thing! HA! xxx
DeleteOne method that sometimes helps: if you look at a piece of clothing, for instance, and think: will I ever wear this again? To what? And if your answer is "maybe," then think--might someone else really LOVE this item? And if the answer is "yes," then ask:--wouldn't it be fun to give it to them? And the answer is ALWAYS yes, it would be fun to make someone else happy. So then, it's very very rewarding in many ways to donate. And you declutter at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to follow my daughter's command lately. One new piece of clothing in, two pieces go out. And I've been ruthlessly weeding. I know this is still good but do I love to wear it?
DeleteYes, that's a good one. And yes, exactly--you like it, but for someone else, it might be their FAVORITE thing ever! Wouldn't it be fun to make that happen
DeleteI am slowly, SLOWLY, converting all our paper bills to e-bill. But I still have an expandable file with 2 years worth of credit card statements, utility bills, etc. Why? I don't know. None of it is important, like tax returns. We always kept it "just in case" the credit card company said the bill was unpaid, but...I have online records from my bank to do that. In fact, I just did it yesterday.
ReplyDeleteSo why do I have this paper?
EXACTLY. There are records of everything. You do NOT need that paper. And it is SO great when it goes. Remember--you used to need it, when the world was different. Now we have this habit, but reality has changed. (Did you keep your transistor radio? Your Beta-Max? :-))
DeleteI keep two kinds of receipts: weird business expenses that might be hard to justify (birdseed, for instance), and of any purchase I might need to return or prove I bought. Stores still require receipts for those reasons.
DeleteHank, exactly! I don't have my old cassette VHS players, why these random utility bills?
DeleteKaren, I keep anything that relates to something I might use for income tax purposes (receipts for purchase of books for sale or restaurant receipts at a conference). But these are just personal things. Really, do I need my electric bill from 2019??
Get rid of it, Liz! You'll feel a lot lighter!
DeleteI was thinking about this very topic just yesterday -- and have yet to make a move on it myself, but here's my cheap advice: Notebooks are forever. File folders stuffed with papers not so much.
ReplyDeleteI have one box of archived material on reproductive rights, the primary political issue I have worked on for decades. I am determined to go through that box and pull out the (few) papers that are personally valuable to me. That's step one. Step two, I'll go back through and pull any papers that might be valuable to a community organization or archive. After that, anything that remains can clearly be chucked or recycled.
Note: It takes immense personal fortitude to do this work. Best to have a cup of strong coffee or good wine beside you!
AMANDA: I agree you have to be in the right state of mind to start tackling these types of chores. And I have a dozen notebooks chronicling every research team meeting for a key 5-year period on one of my research bookshelf. The loose pieces of paper associated with those projects are long gone.
DeleteOkay, first, I was looking up CLARK AND DIVISION, as I do, and I saw you got a quote from GEORGE TAKEI!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHank, I can't believe you didn't add that. Oh, my.
Secondly, I have no advice for you. Sitting at my desk writing this, I can see one stack of books, one stack of notebooks, a messy pile of legal pads with detatched pages wrinkled from where I spilled pink lemonade on them (and also blew out my router, thank you very much.) I also have two small stacks of papers - one
--brief pause--
Okay, one was actually junk. I tossed those. A victory for organization! The other is optimistically called my "action pile." Have I take any action on this pile? No, I have not.
But I don't care, because today I learned I am three degrees from George Takei. (Me - Naomi - Naomi's agent/editor - Mr. Sulu.) That's a big enough win for me.
Yes, SO great. I actually downloaded the graphic from Amazon, but then forgot to put it into the post. AMAZING!
DeleteGeorge Takei's and my paths have crossed in L.A. I guess even in a place like Los Angeles the world can be small.
DeleteThis is the first year I've attempted to declutter. Overflow books have gone to Goodwill, little libraries in the neighborhood, and a couple of specialty charities - a private Black history museum and the Houston Holocaust museum. In the process, I discovered a corner with enough space for a new bookcase, which is now completely full. And so it goes...
ReplyDeleteGay, so great to see you here today. Any new "Body" books on the way?
DeleteGood to hear from you, Judy. I've only briefly come up for air while putting the finishing touches on the News Body (fingers crossed). Thanks for asking!
DeleteYAY! Hi Gay, so wonderful to see you here! xxx
DeleteThanks, Hank. Happy to be here!
DeleteOne of the hardest decluttering items for me is my own books. For each book the publisher sends me 25 hardcover and 25 paperbacks. I send some to reviewers, give some to friends but there are always enough left and after 45 books published they take up a lot of space.
ReplyDeleteSuggestions anyone? I have donated cartons full to a library that has burned down or flooded but apart from that I've no clue.
I am also awash in inventory, Rhys! In a small house. The corners of my office are filled with boxes of books. And because I write too much, they keep coming...
DeleteOh, Rhys, I hear you. A few years ago I hired someone to help me organize all those books. Between us we got them all sorted and labeled in dozens of plastic tubs, and made a master sheet listing how many copies of each edition. Then we had to have our roof replaced, tearing off the original cedar shakes that had been covered with composite (no decking!). And all that roof rubbish is still there, on top of the book tubs, which are no longer accessible. I don't know how I could clean this up myself, or who I could possibly get to help me. (First helpers were two young men who have long since gone on to their own busy lives...)
DeleteI donate a lot of books to silent auctions for nonprofits in my area. I wonder if there's a development (fund-raiser) person who could take those books off your hands.
DeleteRhys, since you usually have someone traveling with you, what about either back if the room sales, or giveaways when you make appearances?
DeleteBooks are a pain to travel with, as I know from 20 years on the road, but you would only need a couple pee event. Of course that also requires in person events. And libraries are a better choice for giveaways than bookstores, for obvious reasons.
It's frustrating for you writers to have them, but also for new fans trying to find books that are no longer in print. When I started to read Deb's books, then decided I needed to own all of them, I had an awful time trying to find the ones that were out of print! It's a shame you can't bundle them off to some website that specializes in hard to find books. It sounds as though you'd be glad to have them taken away. Debs, you are breaking my heart thinking about your inaccessible tubs of "gold."
DeleteI'd say call my sister; she is very ruthless when it comes to tossing.... everything but I like all of you.
ReplyDeleteMay I have her number?
DeleteMe too!
DeleteDoes your sister want to come visit Canada?
DeleteI don't she has a passport yet, Grace. She really can be very ruthless.
DeleteMaybe we can do it by FaceTime.....
DeleteNaomi, congratulations on the huge success of your book!! Obviously, the clutter is not detrimental to your writing! And as for the clutter, I have more sympathy than advice. Well, maybe a little advice. I use spiral notebooks for keeping up with everyday stuff, then label them with beginning/ending dates when full. Same with writing/scribble notebooks, one or two for each novel. I also keep a running Word doc for each novel with notes/ideas/research. And I use Scrivener, which gives you a place to put research links, character sketches, etc., as well chapter/scene of the work in progress. I've tried using Evernote but it sent me into digital overload.
ReplyDeleteBut the research books! I have shelves and boxes full for every novel. Will I ever need any of that stuff again??? No. Or at least not very likely. But can I give them away? Should I give them away?
Are you planning for a local university to archive your materials, Debs? I would think that any/every JRW writer would be wanted by their local uni for such posterity, no?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDecisions, decisions.
ReplyDeleteNaomi, let me first say that there are four books I am desperately trying to get to before the end of the year, and Clark and Division is at the top of the list. After I finish and review my current read, Clark and Division is next. Congratulations on wide-spread acclaim the book has received. I think it's been on every Best list I've encountered.
ReplyDeleteOh, clutter. My biggest obstacle to an orderly house is, of course, books. Before I could do my cleaning for Christmas decorating, it was books that I had to sort and try to find a place for first. I'm beginning to admit that I have a problem, and I have just recently loaded two tubs full of books, at least 100 to donate. But, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Books are just hard to give up. I'm doing better with paperwork, bills and junk mail and all that. I do my banking online, but I still receive paper bills, which I need to switch to digital. I have at least one tub full of materials, both my work and resources, from my Masters program. Won't somebody be able to use those materials someday? Hahaha! When my MIL died 18 months ago, there were papers and photos and mementos to sort. Even with my sister-in-law taking half, we filled the very large blanket chest we also inherited with my husband's family stuff. I've told my children to feel free and just load it in boxes and throw out when we're gone. And, then I'm guilty of not having gone through everything from when my parents died (over 20 years ago). I need to use another blanket chest and give my children the same instructions for it.
Yes, but Kathy, you've actually done your Christmas decorating!
DeleteSO true!
DeleteThank you for your interest in CLARK AND DIVISION, Kathy! I appreciate it.
DeleteI feel so seen, as they say. We have way too much stuff but I'm heartless about keeping things while Hub clings to everything. I now throw stuff out and tell him it's "in storage". Ha!
ReplyDeleteI am shocked. "Storage," "garbage"...almost the same word.
DeleteYes, it's all AT THE FARM.
DeleteI hope your husband doesn't read Jungle Red, Jenn!
DeleteHA! xxx
Delete