Days of Wine Grapes and Writing Gaps

I spent a sunny and sometimes sweltering Friday morning last week doing something never done before, picking grapes for winemaking at a neighbor’s place a few blocks away. For the past year, I’d watched the vines of Cabernet Sauvignon, Mission, Merlot, and Sangiovese (the latter depicted in the accompanying photo) grow and ripen in anticipation of helping with the harvest. That time finally came on the last day of July, and while it was an exhausting experience, it was also invigorating, interesting, and ultimately invoked comparisons to, strangely enough, writing novels.

Creating books and winemaking have areas in common, including things not controllable and therefore requiring deft adaptation, as is weather when it comes to harvesting grapes. Indeed, that process occurs earlier here in the high altitude of southern New Mexico than it does for more famous wine regions in California, for instance. As for writing, you never know when creative spark will strike, and when it won’t, and you also can rarely control the editing or publishing timeline.

And then there’s actually consuming wine, too much of which can interfere with writing. I must confess this blog post is a day late due to both the physical exhaustion of Friday’s labor and imbibing in that which is made from the glorious grape a tad too much on Saturday with friends.

Because, yes, I love wine and vineyards and winery hopping, so much so I’ve included that passion in my Other Worldly novels, where wine derives from an agricultural planet called Cultura, also known as Saturn, not to mention OW Winery operated in Oregon by an alien. I’m  also fascinated by the whole winemaking process, including the chemistry of the crush, fermentation, varietal blending, and aging of the result in oak barrels or stainless steel tanks (like my fav white varietal Sauvignon Blanc). Alas, I did not receive the science gene enough to pursue an enology degree.

My thing, my gift, my true passion is writing. Yet this past week I’ve not progressed much in my next OW novel featuring Rowan Layne, Alien Origins, even while I continued to await the return of the revised first novel, Alienable Rights, from my editor. Which is why it was prescient this morning when I happened to read an online Writer’s Digest interview that had me taking notes as I’d finished my first cup of coffee before six a.m. So it’s a good thing I didn’t draft this post yesterday, which might have been akin to picking grapes before they’re ready. 😊

Several quotes from the WD article I will share herein, because for me the timing and focus couldn’t be more “ripe.” But first, a caveat. The interview, titled “Leila Renee: Be Open to Revision,” was described by the interviewee, a male WD editor, as the author “discusses choosing to lean into humor.” And I can’t quite help feeling like he might have missed the point.

Leila Renee’s interview was featured because her debut novel, Soft Spot, launches tomorrow, August 4. It’s billed as a dark humor, coming-of-age tale of two Black female friends. Once I read the full interview, I realized that the headline and description did not really capture the gist of what she said.

Here’s what resonated for me from Leila Renee, who impressively began drafting her first novel in January 2019, continuing to revise it until she sold Soft Spot in 2024:

“The book started out quite serious…but over the years I gave myself permission to have fun with the writing because I believe humor is one of the best coping mechanisms.”

“The publishing industry moves at its own pace. Things can move slowly for a while, then things can happen very quickly. I learned to be more patient, and I had to constantly remind myself why I do what I do. My publishing process taught me that my love for writing is the thing that will sustain me over time. That love is the thing I cling to whenever things become challenging.”

“Be open to revision, take time between drafts, and let the work surprise you.”

“I hope readers will get what they need from it…I want people to feel seen by my book, and to know that their pain is not invisible. But take what you need from it! I appreciate anyone who reads it.”

That last quote especially spoke to me. But I definitely think WD should have used “let the work surprise you” as the headline. I’m frequently surprised by what emerges in the flow of drafting. Also, “leaning into humor” is not the same as using humor as a catharsis for tackling difficult subjects. Something I can definitely relate to when it comes to my novels. Which means I need to get crushing again and finish Alien Origins to cope with the constant barrage of craziness coming at us in the US.

Cheers to all of my readers, you are appreciated!