Deb Linda Loves Getting Away (With It)

If there’s anything in life more fun for me than getting away, it’s getting away with it.

Seriously, is there anything more delicious than knowing you’ve done something you probably shouldn’t have, and not getting in trouble for it? Come on. Admit it–it’s pure bliss. The dash of naughty that makes it (whatever your favorite “it” happens to be) oh-so-nice.

(Unless, of course,  a sprinkle of guilt is not your life-condiment of choice. In which case … um, sorry. And may I add that your halo is looking lovely today? Quite fetching. I have one myself–I’m sure it’s around here someplace. I try to wear it most days, but I confess it doesn’t fit all that well, and tends to slide off easily.)

 

When I was a kid, it was all about managing to stay up past my bedtime without my parents noticing, or eating dessert before dinner. (*cough* That one might still apply.)

 

 

Teenage Me was giddy if I managed to push the curfew limits without getting grounded.

 

 

Adult Me gets a secret thrill when I can sneak in an hour or so reading trashy novel when I really should be [doing laundry/cleaning house/paying bills/yanking weeds/grocery shopping, etc.].

 

 

And Writer Me … well, Writer Me gets a real kick out of breaking Those Rules. You know the ones. The ones that if you break them you’ll never, ever get [an agent/an editor/published/a good review].

Me, I tend to agree with Andy Warhol:

 

 

Here are few “rules” I broke while writing In a Fix (and these are just in the first chapter!):

Show, don’t tell.

Write what you know.

Don’t use adjectives and/or adverbs.

Never have a character look in a mirror.

(I’d tell you how I broke them, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the suspense. *grin*)

 

Ha! Got away with it! (Er, sorry. Sometimes that’s hard to resist.)

 

And here are a few others I’ve broken, either in subsequent chapters of In a Fix, or in other books:

Don’t start (a book/chapter/scene) with dialogue.

Don’t include a dream scene.

(Of course, it remains to be seen if I’ve truly gotten away with the ones I broke in the other books. I like to think so, but only time will tell.)

 

My MC, Ciel Halligan, shares my joy in getting away with stuff. (Hmm. Wonder where she gets that from…) Though, after a few … um, explosive … moments, she is understandably superstitious cautious about expressing her delight, so she’s trying to reform.

 

What have you gotten away with lately? (Either in real life or your writing. I’m not picky.)

17 Replies to “Deb Linda Loves Getting Away (With It)”

  1. You mean like leaving that pile of clean laundry until my husband gets so sick of it that he folds it himself? I don’t do things like that. *straightens halo* Ever.

  2. As someone who has just finished IN A FIX, I can say, with authority, that your rule-breaking worked. Famously. Good job, you saucy rule-breaker, you.
    As for me, I am still amazed that I got away with making up a story about a girl and her dead grandmother, and someone went ahead and bought it. 😉

    1. Thank you kindly, Deb Joanne. And having read SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE, I can say (also with authority) that I’m not at all surprised someone went ahead and bought it. 🙂

  3. One of the more fascinating– and frustrating–aspects of raising a kid with Asperger’s. He has no sense of guilt. How the hell am I supposed to scar him for life, dammit?

  5. I never get away with anything. Ten cars can blow by me doing 30 km over the speed limit, but the cop will let them go and pull me over for being 5 km over. And I’ll get a ticket, too, not just a warning. After all these years, I’ve given up trying to get away with stuff.

    Do I rate a halo if I’m only being good so I don’t get caught, not because I like being good?

    1. Maybe you should try going faster. You’re obviously too easy to catch. 😉

      And, eh, a halo is a halo, right? Just remember–if it gets to be too tight a squeeze, take it off for a while.

    1. Thanks, Tom! Yeah, that’s the good thing about getting older. The body may lose some of its flexibility, but (if we’re lucky), the mind makes up for it. 😉

  7. The older I get, the more comfortable I am with “breaking the rules.” Not laws, mind you. I’m disgustingly law-abiding and honest. But you know, those stupid commonly accepted “rules” that supposedly govern proper behavior. Like, I’ll wear white shoes all year round … as long as they’re comfortable. What a rebel.

  8. I was thinking I hadn’t gotten away with anything lately but I must confess, I can read at work between calls, and I must admit it feels like getting away with something if I read a sex scene. Feels kind of naughty. Is my life exciting or what?

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