A Writer's Thanksgiving List

Twelve things I am thankful for (as a writer):

1) The fact that I have a working brain. This may sound odd, but without my mind, writing would be an impossibility.

2) That I have book contracts. I never take these for granted. Each one is an amazing gift.

3) The fact I have glasses that are the right prescription. Yeah, try working all day on the computer with the wrong prescription and see what kind of a headache you have. Been there. Done that. Next.

4) That I have two awesome dogs that hang out in my office with me all day. There's nothing like dropping to the floor in the throes of a frustrating scene, only to get copious amounts of sloppy puppy love to make the world seem better.

5) That I can wear sweatpants and fuzzy bedroom slippers to work everyday. I used to have these Godzilla slippers that roared whenever I took a step, but my dog though it was a real creature and tore them up. I'm sure he still thinks he saved my foot from being eaten by Godzilla.

6) That I have the best agent ever. I shudder to hear horror stories from authors about their agents, and I realize every day how lucky I am to have someone who supports me so completely.

7) That I have the freedom everyday to do what I want to do. No boss leaning over my shoulder. Just me. I work on Thanksgiving, but I can meet a friend for lunch any day I want to. Sometimes when I am shopping at ten in the morning, I still feel like I'm playing hooky from work, and someone is going to grab me by the collar and haul me back to the little cubicle that was my home for so many years.

8) That I have healthy hands, so I can type. For someone who spent 4 years unable to type due to hand/wrist/finger problems, I treasure the fact I can type again. There is nothing more frustrating that being kept from your dreams by something so small yet so huge, like not being able to type. If I ever get in a serious accident, I know the first thing I will try to protect are my hands.

9) That I have a dh who supports my writing, and who has health insurance. Not sure which trumps...JK. Ahem. Actually, he's cooking our contribution to Thanksgiving dinner today so I can write my page quota for the day. Need I say more? The guy rocks.

10) That I can be as strange as I want in public, and everyone simply chalks it up to creative genius. Little do they know... Me, eccentric? Never. The aspargus story? A total lie.

11) That I have a built in excuse whenever I want to avoid social engagements. (Friend: Want to come to my Tupperware party Sunday night? Me: I'd love to, but I have to write. Deadline. Friend: Oh, bummer. I can't believe how hard you work. You always seem to be working on weekends. Me: I know. Deadlines are killer. Hee, hee, hee. [Is it my fault my friend didn't ask exactly when that deadline was?]

12) I get to fantasize about hot men all the time, and I get paid for it. And no, it's not almost like being a prostitute by proxy...

posted by Stephanie Rowe @ 9:13 AM