Attitude Adjustment

Please allow me to introduce a fellow writer and friend. Nancy Haddock is one of those writers who is easy to like and very enjoyable to read. And make sure you post a comment, for she is giving away a copy of Last Vampire Standing. Take it away Nancy!


I live in St. Augustine, Florida, billed as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the United States, a town of European charm. The billing is true, yet that description doesn’t do justice to the deeper spirit of the historic downtown. It sure doesn’t describe the laid back energy of “the island” – specifically Anastasia Island, the beach community “extension” of St. Augustine.

I first clapped eyes on St. Augustine in 1989 when I accepted an invitation to an intimate writing conference. I’d only been in Florida once before that time, and had heard little of St. Augustine, but I’m a sucker for palm trees, and a new adventure beckoned.

The trip, quite simply, changed my life. As soon as I saw the downtown district, I felt like I’d been there in another time, another incarnation. I felt like I’d come home. Then I saw the beaches, and I tumbled all the way into love with the place. Oceanside, California had been my dream location to live (okay, apart from Tahiti), but I instantly knew that someday I had to live in St. Augustine.

Thirteen years and many repeat visits later, we relocated at last. It was torture to leave my “home” RWA chapter, all my dear friends, and my family living in Oklahoma and Texas, yet I knew in my soul it was the right decision. We downsized, so I spent almost a year overseeing repairs, furnishing, and decorating our new home. When I returned to writing in earnest, I knew something was off. After venting to hubby one day, he helped me figure out the problem.

My WIPs held the energy of the Dallas area. Of my experiences and perceptions, yes, my ruts. I was unconsciously hanging on to that energy in my writing, but I wasn’t that woman any longer. Hubby suggested that I embrace the energy of St. Augustine, of the town, of the beach, of my new life. Talk about a whap upside the head!

Less than an hour later, I’d brainstormed a mystery series idea – still unsold, but it feels solidly right. Then, wham, I realized the screenplay idea I’d played with would take place right down the beach. Next I misheard a peanut butter commercial that led to writing my light vampire series, a mix of mystery and romance, of historical and contemporary aspects set in – you guessed it – St. Augustine.

Better still, the ideas kept rolling in, and still are. Moving to a new location had shifted my energy, had opened me to ideas and characters I hadn’t imagined writing, had helped me truly free my voice. I flew high on my new attitude!

I’ll tell anyone who’ll stand still that relocating contributed to making my first sale, but there are a zillion ways to gain new perspectives without moving halfway across the country. And, of course, the first task is to recognize ruts.

Your rut might be clutter, as mine too often is. It might be rushing from work to home without thinking about anything but making dinner, or whatever you have to do next. A rut might be anything, but ruts almost always involve some aspect of looking without seeing. Acting without being. Being awake but not aware.

Whether you identify a specific rut or not, we can all use new perspectives, and here are a few exercises I recommend.

1. Take a vacation to either a favorite place that feeds your creative soul, or adventure to a new destination! Absorb the change of scenery, the people, the personality of the place.

2. Can’t afford a full-blown vacation? Take a mini-vacation – go somewhere within a few hours’ driving distance and experience what the location has to offer. What new things do you see, and how does that change your perspective?

3. Don’t have the time or wherewithal to travel at all? Drive to a part of town you’ve never seen. Take a different route to and from work – or the drug store or grocery or the children’s school. Allow yourself to notice neighborhoods, architecture, gardens. What kinds of people do you imagine live in the area?

4. If nothing else, change your perspective of your own home, yard, neighborhood. Take a walk and pay attention to the trees and flowers in bloom. Sit in a different chair at the dining table. Lay on the floor of any room to see it from a different perspective. Walk around your yard and see it from a new point of view. Be present in the moment and ask yourself this question: If I were to write about the people who live here, what would I know of them? What are their consistencies and inconsistencies? Does the place evoke a mood? Do their belongings whisper stories?

Sometimes a new attitude is about letting go of the blahs, or refusing to live in fear. Other times, it’s simply about perspective.

Make sure you post a comment. Nancy is giving away a copy of Last Vampire Standing. So post away!!!

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Nancy Haddock’s debut book, La Vida Vampire, launched a new series from Berkley, and made her a national bestselling author. Her second book, Last Vampire Standing is slated for release on May 5, 2009 and is garnering high marks from reviewers.

In writing paranormal romantic mystery, Nancy drew on her long experience with things-that-go-bump, and on the historic wealth of St. Augustine, Florida. She writes full-time, and is a dedicated resident-tourist who never gets tired of exploring the sights of her new hometown.
Visit Nancy at http://www.nancyhaddock.com/ and participate in her Where’s Cesca contests on the Beach Party page.