Friday, March 26, 2010

A day in the writing life: Lisa and Laura Roecker

Whenever we tell people that we write together, they furrow their brow and ask one question:

How?

We usually delve into the details of writing LIAR SOCIETY (trying our new title on for size), the ins and outs of writing a novel with another person, the emails, the switching off of chapters, the editing, the late night phone calls, but there's one thing we usually just breeze right over...the arm wrestling.



That's right, arm wrestling. You see, when Lisa and I don't agree on something, we make it a point to drive across town, meet at one of our houses and settle the score the old fashioned way--with our muscles (or lack thereof).




As you can see in the above picture, we take this ritual very seriously.

Can't agree on hair color for a new character? Sit down, clasp hands and flex those muscles.

In a major fight regarding whose name should go first on the cover? Grit those teeth and push with everything you've got. (Lisa won that particularly bloody battle.)




And then after we've had a good match (often best out of three) we can finally sit down and get to work.*

*We have never, ever been able to successfully write anything while we're in the same room. This picture is totally staged. Our husbands wouldn't agree to take the "real" pictures of us writing in the dead of night because they go to bed at 8 o'clock.


P.S.
The winner of THE BODY FINDER is Kate! Send us an e-mail at lisa-laura(at)live(dot)com to claim your prize!

51 comments:

Candyland said...

I want my own Lisa or Laura to pretend write with:(

Christine Danek said...

You guys make a great team. My brother and I would probably kill each other.
Still like the new title. ;)

Simon C. said...

Nice game faces in that first pic, ladies. Srsly. I was intimidated.

And yes, I came back from blog vacation just to say that. You may commence feeling special now. You're welcome. :)

Joanna said...

If I knew this before you came to NYC, I would have made you arm wrestle over something...ANYTHING. The hotdogs? The band? Over who can enter Books of Wonder first? Anything!

Marquita Hockaday said...

Wow- great response to the question of how you write together :) My cuz and I are both writers and we write screenplays together, but we felt like writing novels together would be too hard- however, you guys have a great technique for settling disputes!

Kerri Cuev said...

Always wondered how you do it! Who usually wins in arm wrestling? Lol! You ladies rock!

Sarah Ahiers said...

Ha!
For my sister and I, we resort to Rock Paper Scissors,
Which is very hard, because we're twins and often know what the other is planning. So it becomes like chess, you have to think 5 moves ahead of the other

Talli Roland said...

I was wondering how that worked! Like the arm-wrestling, btw!

Unknown said...

Woo-hoo! Go Kate!! You are going to love it!

Haha love the pictures! And arm-wrestling is so the way to settle something!!! I love that your hubbys wont take real pictures of you while writing!!! - they go to bed at 8 - yes I understand that feeling!

Sorry for spilling the beans about your day job/night job... I won't make the mistake of sharing twice... Muahahaha!

Christina Lee said...

LOL!!!! That first picture has GOT TO become your profile pic!

Ian said...

Emailing you....I have to know

erica m. chapman said...

Love the pics ;o)You guys are too funny!

I'm not sure what would happen if I tried to write with my sister - well I know one thing. I'd win all the arm wrestling matches ;o)

Congrats Kate!

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Could the two of you be any more awesome?! I love the pictures (and the blue on the wall in that first pic. is amazing!).

Congrats to Kate! :-)

Unknown said...

You two make an awesome team. The pics are great.

Kelsey (Dominique) Ridge said...

Arm wrestling is an excellent way of making decisions.
I, personally, favor rock-paper-scissors. Too many years of teachers making that the official decision making tool of student disputes.
Plus, my siblings would always have crushed me at arm wrestling.

Elana Johnson said...

Great pictures, girls! And I so feel the whole husband-going-to-bed-early thing. :)

JEM said...

Can I just say how much I love the big gold earrings/scarf combo? Well, I just said it. You ladies look lovely, even in the heat of combat.

Lydia Kang said...

it's so great that you guys figured out the perfect working relationship. you go!

Angela Ackerman said...

Haha, you guys ever shake things up with a leg wrestle?

Unknown said...

It looks like you guys have a blast, even during disputes! Too fun!

Have a great weekend!

Bethany Elizabeth said...

I'm more partial to rockpaperscissors myself, but I love the idea! I wish I had a sister, but alas! I was given two brothers. Well, it's a trade off. I may not be as knowledgable about cute purses, but I'm an expert at video games and street basketball. Great pictures!

Carolyn V. said...

Hee hee hee. You guys are so dang funny! Your pictures rock! I knew there was a good way to solve a problem. =)

XiXi said...

As always, you guys are adorable. So who has the greater upper body strength to win those arm wrestling matches?

Courtney Barr - The Southern Princess said...

oh I love these pics! You two are adorable. My sister & I (though we don't write together) have a bond that cannot be broken. Glad to see it in the two of you.

So who really wins the most arm wrestling matches??

Visit My Kingdom Anytime

Krispy said...

The pics are cute! I second whoever said that first pic should be your new profile pic. Fierceness!

Anonymous said...

I always wondered how that worked....Kudos to you. I'm too mean and too much of a control freak to write with someone else, never mind my sister!

Lori W. said...

So, that's your secret! I'd be hitting the weights daily if writing battles came down to muscle. Wonderful pics, BTW.

Tamika: said...

Wouldn't it be neat though- to sit on the couch together and click away. It would save gas.

Sarah Wylie said...

You're hilarious. LOVE the pics! I am with everyone that said the first picture needs to be your new profile picture!

Tana said...

I love that you're wearing the scarf you bought at Old Navy in NYC. Do I get the stalker prize of the day???? Am I even right?

Marsha Sigman said...

Of course you would arm wrestle to settle arguments!
How else?

I am glad those are staged pictures, I was starting to get a complex over how good you looked while writing. I am a hideous mess in the middle of the night and what is it with the husbands passing out by 8? Mine does the same thing.

Tahereh said...

u guys are wayyyyyy too cute!!!! love ittttttttttt

<3333333

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

and lisa - do you REALLY look like this when you write - makeup, scarf, cute shoes. Come on - show us the sweats girl! ;)

Jill Kemerer said...

The picture of you two on the couch with your laptops--that's how it really is. Admit it! :)

Have a great weekend!

Jennifer said...

Ha, so that's how you do it! Arm wrestling? Gotta be the best way to settle writing disputes that I've heard. I'm going to suggest it to my writing group now. :P

Jemi Fraser said...

If I was co-authoring with someone else - I think being in separate places would be a requirement! That way I could cry (or scream, or throw things!) when the other one told me my stuff sucked & she'd never know :)

Amy Lukavics said...

LMAO I love the first picture. You can tell that something hardcore is about to go down.

Trollololol said...

Haha! I love the first pic too. You really have your game faces on!

If for some reason you ever can't meet to arm wrestle, how about a staring contest via webcam? =]

storyqueen said...

Which is better, Mac or PC...? DING! Let the arm wrestling begin!!

Shelley

Marina. said...

beautiful blog

Sherrie Petersen said...

Lisa may have won the right to put her name first, but Laura won the computer war -- we're using the same machine :)

Jeannie Lin said...

I absolutely LOVED this post, staged pictures and all. Now, would either of you object if the other started working out avidly?

Anonymous said...

I always miss the contests. I dont get it. It's like I repell them. Congrats to the winner though!

Jackee said...

You two are just the cutest. And maybe it's time to switch to rock, paper, scissors?

:o)

Unknown said...

I think all disagreements should be settled with a good arm-wrestling match! You both are hilarious!

sunna said...

AHA. I knew there was some deep dark secret to how you two get this done.


(Well, I'm still mystified, truth be told. If this were me and one of my sisters, we'd degenerate to food fights and whoever-falls-in-the-pool-first-loses competitions very quickly.) :)

Larissa said...

I ADORE that one is a MAC and one is a PC. ADORE.

You ladies are awesomesauce (to use a CarrieHarris-ism).

Patti said...

One has a Mac and the other PC, do you guys fight over whose better?

Little Ms J said...

Lord, the trouble we could get into! Adorable collage, ladies!

Emily J. Griffin said...

You know the best way to win an arm wrestling match? Punch the other person in the face.

Stina said...

I definitely couldn't write with my brother. We wouldn't agree on the genre to begin with, though I'd kick his butt every time arm wrestling him. :D

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