Fridays Are Too Nice for Hatin'

I have a confession.

No one hate me.

But I like to clean.

There. I wrote it.

Not only do I enjoy most of my chores, but I feel compelled to do them no matter what. At the expense of writing, blogging, and sleep, I must have a clean kitchen before I go to sleep.

What's your Main Character's house look like? How do you handle your daily chores? Do people who are the opposite of you intrigue or annoy you?

Comments

Tabitha Bird said…
I hate you... JOKING! Want to come and clean my house? :)


I agree with Katie. Great question.

I am the character in my memoir and my home is usually tidy. Usually.... :)
I must also confess...I'm a neat freak!! Everything in it's place and all tidy is my mode of operation. I'm trying to give up some of this and just be spontaneous, but I'm like you...I can't go to bed until the dishes are done, etc.!

Now that you mention it...my characters tend to be organized and have clean homes too!
Jennifer Shirk said…
Oh, thank goodness YOU said it, because I'm the same way!!
I've actually thought about leaving the house to write so I won't be tempted to vacuum. :)

My hubby once told me I clean the bathroom too much. *snort* How can a bathroom ever be too clean?

I have yet to translate my madness to one of my characters. LOL
Jessica Nelson said…
Katie, tidy is good too. :-) I'm certainly not perfect with mine and I force myself not to be anal, just disciplined. *grin* Your story's a little different than mine because you work outside the home. That makes a huge difference in priorities, imo.
Krista Phillips said…
Please know that you have a standing invitation into my home, Jessica. Seriously, you can come live here if you want. No problem.

It's not that I don't like cleaning, it's... okay, fine, it's that I dont' like cleaning. I do like a clean house though. But it's hard to put the two together...
Jessica Nelson said…
Tabitha! LOL NO, I don't like cleaning that much... Heeheee.

Donna, it's just so nice to have a clean kitchen to wake up to, right? Plus, we live in Florida. Not a great place to leave crumbs about. LOL

Jennifer, your hubby is crazy! How can a bathroom be too clean? Impossible. *snort*
You should write a neat freak character. They're really fun. *grin*
Jessica Nelson said…
Krista, no worries. All those kids you have can be put to good use, right? *wicked, bad, bad grin*
Jessica Nelson said…
Krista, I should add that I'd be happy to come to your house if you'll make me some of those caramel Christmas cookies. :-)
Mostly they make me jealous--like you. I so wish I loved to clean because I love a neat and clean home but so don't have the energy or desire to put the needed work into it. God made me with so many contradictions it isn't funny!!!

My characters mostly have very neat and tidy homes--huh, wonder why?
anita said…
We could NEVER hate you. Heh. I'm in awe of people who like to clean. My MIL is that way and I think it's wonderful. Wish I was like that.

As you well know, cleaning comes last on a list of family, writing, and work. Blick. I'm like you in that I prefer to have a clean kitchen before I sit down to write in the evenings, but I'm not above leaving a few dishes soaking in the sink if a really juicy scene is nibbling on me. HEH. Though, honestly, it's rare.

As to the state of my heroine's house ... well, wow. I've never thought about it. Cool slant on characterization, though.

The one I'm writing now lives in a castle and has servants, so they keep it pretty clean I guess. But she also has young nieces, so I'm sure there's some endearing clutter in her life. I find that kind of a "mess" sweet, though. I like having little reminders of the kiddos around. :-)

Hey, Agent L finally contacted me; I emailed you about it.

Great post as always!
Robyn Campbell said…
Hmmm, you like to clean and I have a house that needs cleanin'. :-) Get the picture? :-) I am a Germ-x fanatic though. I have bottles sitting everywhere.

My characters are kids so their rooms look like normal kids rooms.

I don't get annoyed by people who are the opposite of me, just green with envy. I guess I'd better start school and then clean my house. *she hangs her head* Have a great weekend.
My MC likes to clean too. Her home is immaculate. I figure I ought to make someone like it. ;) Actually, I go crazy cleaning before company comes. I try to act like I like it.

~ Wendy
Kristen Painter said…
I like to pay the cleaning woman. Very similar.
Linda Kage said…
You like to clean? Oh, good. Would you like to come visit me?? I'm still waiting for this nesting instict to kick in, but I don't think it's gonna. Sigh.

Anyway, the main character's mom in my book is a clean freak, but her internal stuggle is to show the world she's a good person.
Terri Tiffany said…
Put me on your list to come clean. I'm the closest!LOL
Actually, I love a clean house too. I can't concentrate if it is too messy! Sick yes.
I hadn't thought about my MC and her obsessions! Maybe I need to do something with that!
Jessica Nelson said…
Well Eileen, if it makes you feel better I'm jealous that you create such gorgeous gardens...and that you have a horse! LOL So now we're even. :-)

Anita, I bet house is pretty neat even if you don't like to clean. *grin*

Robyn, you're funny! It seems like a lot of people here could use some cleaning services. You homeschool, don't you? That's something I would never want to do. Who has time to clean when they're busy schooling kids? *grin*
Natalie said…
You make me jealous! I wish I loved to clean. There are a couple cleaning things I enjoy (like the dishes when I have a great audiobook), but mostly I hate them, and it shows.
Jessica Nelson said…
Wendy, I do the same thing before people come. I mean, the basics are clean, but when people come I'm checking almost everything. One of my characters is a neat freak too. :-)

Kristen, a cleaning woman sounds great! I'll be looking into that someday... *grin*

Linda, funny about your MC. So she feels that being clean and neat has to do with her morality? Interesting. Don't worry, supposedly nesting happens right before you go into labor. So if you have a sudden compulsion to scrub the crib, watch out! LOL
Sarah Forgrave said…
I like things to be clean, but I don't like the process of getting them clean. I'm working on a week of blog posts that I'll title 'Deep Dark Secret Week', and one of them has to do with cleaning. Not sure when I'll officially get them posted...maybe the week after next. :-)
Jessica Nelson said…
Terri, you are the closest, aren't you. :-) Tell you what, we should have a writers' dinner, and if y'all feed me, I'll clean up. Heehee!

Natalie, I didn't say I LOVE to clean, I just find it relaxing. :-)
I never thought of listening to my iPod while cleaning. What a cool idea!
Jessica Nelson said…
Sarah, LOVE the title for your series! I can't wait to see what they're about. :-)
Angie Muresan said…
I love to clean too! And I also must have a clean kitchen and family room before going to bed. So, I'm not hating, I'm loving. :) I love clean and organized people!!!
Ha! I hate cleaning, but I love having a clean place so I try to keep things clean as I go.
Julie Dao said…
I like to clean too! Shhh :) There's just something satisfying about running a vacuum cleaner and scrubbing out spots on the kitchen counter. Have a great weekend!
Hi Jessica!
I love to clean too because the results are so tangible and immediate which is indirect contrast to my work as a therapist and a budding author! Uncertain and abstract! Glad to have found you!
Karen Hossink said…
Oh, Jessica. I don't hate you. I love you! And I want you to come to my house!!! *grin*
I find people who are opposite from me intrigue me. It's the ones who are REALLY like me that get annoying. LOL!
Tamika: said…
Jessica, who could ever hate you?! I can feel you on the clean kitchen, I grew up having to keep the kitchen clean. No ifs ands or buts about it.

I hope my kids don't hate me- I'm teaching them the same things.
Jessica Nelson said…
Tamika, they might hate it now but they'll thank you for it later.
:-) Or their spouses will. LOL I grew up that way too and that's probably why I'm this way.

Wow Karen. Everyone wants me to come to their house. I had no clue this little quirk of mine would make me so popular. *grin!* I'm like you: Opposites intrigue me. They're just so...different. LOL

Stephanie, you are SO right! I scrub, it gleams. Whereas with writing, I tweak, I tweak some more. I delete. I rewrite. I tweak. LOL!
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. :-)
Jessica Nelson said…
Julie and Angie, Ahhh, it's so nice to know there are other writers who like to clean. For a while there, I was feeling out in the cold. It's just unartistic to be neat and organized. Or so I thought. Heehee.

Kristen, you're smart. You don't like to do it but you like the result so you do it anyway. Sounds like a good lesson for us all! :-)
Elana Johnson said…
I don't *like* to clean, but like you, I must. I don't go to bed with a dirty kitchen, because then I have to come downstairs in the rush to get ready for work and deal with it. I don't leave for work with the house a mess. Then I have to come home to a messy house. And who wants to do that?

Not I.

So I feel you!
Erica Vetsch said…
Hmm, I like a clean house, but I can't say I'm a fan of cleaning...though I have been known to clean when I'm procrastinating writing!

I love characters who are different from me.
Patti Lacy said…
I alternate being Mrs. Clean with Mrs. Junky in real life.

My current characters in "Reclaiming Lily" have discipline, order, neatness, but old Sally in "What the Bayou Saw" was a mess! chocolate wrappers in her purse, her bra, her drawers! Missing grocery lists...oh, I had fun.

Blessings,
Patti
www.pattilacy.com/blog
Linda Glaz said…
Yeah, okay...well, a slightly diff perspective here. One of my characters is constantly searching in her frig for leftovers. She uncovers green soup and realizes it's the salad she brought home 2 weeks ago. Just remember, today's green soup/salad is tomorrow's penicillin and you save the cost of antibiotics.
Linda G.
Unknown said…
Gotta say I'm the opposite! I write and blog at the expense of cleaning! You're welcome to come clean at my house anytime!! Have a fantastic weekend, Jessica!
Anonymous said…
I don't mind cleaning, just cooking. I can go to bed with a sink full of dishes and feel no guilt though. I remember hearing Joyce Meyer saying she couldn't leave work until her inbox was emptied. Finally, God gave her the revelation that: it will be there tomorrow. My thoughts on that exactly! :O)
denise petrovich said…
I like to have my home in order before I retire to bed, however the older I get the more flexible I have become. People who are messier, and I do have a daughter who falls into that catagory both irritate me and confound me??? I just don't quite get it and I wonder what goes on in the wheels of their brains. Haha. Good question. Love Mom
Hi Jess -

LOL! If you're ever near my home, you're welcome to scratch your cleaning itch here.

My latest character is a Type A personality, who's obsessed with saving time. She never changes her mind about what she wants to wear because it would mess up her schedule. Does this sound annoying? Maybe I should make some adjustments. :)

Blessings,
Susan
Patti said…
I don't hate you, but I'm now filled with pure jealousy. I've never been one of those people who loves cleaning even though I like a clean house.
Karen Lange said…
Don't hate to clean, but don't love it either. But I do like things neat and clean, so that's what motivates me:) Have a great weekend!
Travis Erwin said…
You are better person than I. I put off everything tow rite.
Genny said…
I don't love it, but I am kind of a neat freak...lol!
Oh Jessica, it seems I could learn a thing or two from you. :) Good for you!

I like things tidy, but sometimes it gets away from me. There's just too much other stuff, and something has to give. Usually I'd rather _____ than clean.

Have a great weekend!
Nancy said…
I love to clean, too. It's a major part of my personality. People who are the opposite ingrique as well as annoy me. I truly don't understand how they can like living the way then do. I'm sure the feeling is mutual.
Deb Shucka said…
I used to love to clean. Now I love the result but not the work so much. I can't go to bed, though, if the kitchen isn't spotless, and can't start the day without a made bed. People with really dirty houses bug me because I grew up (unhappily) in one of those.

You ask the best questions.
Oh, Jessie, I knew I loved you the minute we met. What? We haven't met? Well, we should.

And I have a confession to make. I hate to clean. In fact, I pay someone to clean my house so I don't have to. I do dishes, laundry, change sheets, and cook. And every five or ten years I wash windows. Do you hate me?

I tend to love people who are opposite from me, so I'm crazy about all you clean freaks.
Anonymous said…
Jeanette lets do lunch.

I liked to clean for the first 25 years of my life. Now that I have mastered it I feel it is time to move on to something new.
I wanna be you when I grow up! *snort* :)
You like to clean!?! Okay, actually it's not that shocking - I grew up with a mother who has this same problem - sadly she did not manage to pass it on to any of her children;)
Keli Gwyn said…
I don't like to clean or cook, but I do like a clean house and something to eat, so I do what I must. Well, OK, I try. Many times Taco Bell calls to me and I answer. :)
Jessica Nelson said…
LoL Keli,
I don't like to cook either. Blah. We have better things to do, right? Heehee!

Kate, that's funny. And why's it a problem? Oh maybe the compulsion part, right? *snort* Be happy that you don't suffer from it. :-)

Sherrinda, it's better to be a kid. Trust me. *grin*
Jessica Nelson said…
Elana, exactly!! :-)

Erica, yes, cleaning is an excellent source of procrastination!

Patti L, that character sounds absolutely amazing!

Linda, EWwwww! *grin*

Karen, that's probably part of it for me too. ;-)
Jessica Nelson said…
Maria, I wish I could. There are some things I can ignore, esp. if the door can be closed (lol) but some things just have to be neat or I think about them constantly. I hope you have a good weekend too!

But Diane, not only will it be there tomorrow, it will grow! Hahaaa! I hate cooking too, with a passion!

Mom, you're so funny! I can your tone of voice right now. LOL

Susan, that character might be annoying in life but in a story that kind of characterization is really intriguing and funny! I love it, seriously. Give me some tips on creating quirky characters, okay? LOL
Jessica Nelson said…
Patti, tell the green-eyed monster to calm down. *grin* I might like a clean house and to clean, but it still has its moments of hurricane messiness. :-) At the moment I'm conveniently ignoring my toy-littered living room and the load of laundry in the dryer. Heh.

Travis, now I'm jealous of you! *grin*

Genny, Gotcha. I'm not sure if I qualify as neat freak or not, but I know some people who can. *snicker* Good luck with that! LOL
Jessica Nelson said…
Janna, you're funny. I know there are lots of things I could learn from you, like writing amazing posts with such a strong voice!

Nancy, you're cracking me up! You sound like my mom, heeehee. It's funny that there's such a chasm between the "There's some juice on the floor, scrub it" and the "There's some juice on the foor, step around it" crowd.

Jeanette, WAIT! I'm supposed to be washing windows??? LOL Maybe I'm not as clean as I thought. I do the same stuff as you, plus clean the bathrooms and mop. Hmmm. I'm getting the feeling here that I don't do much more than anyone else...
LOL
I love opposites too! (and you, and yes, we need to meet someday!)
You know, Jessica, I think we need to get to know one another better. Perhaps you could come to Tampa and stay with me for a few days. And if, while you're here, you feel the overwhelming need to clean my kitchen ... well, I'll try to let you. That's just the kind of girl I am. Always a giver.
Jessica Nelson said…
Tina, if you and Jeanette did lunch, I'd be the fly who fell off the wall from laughing too hard!

Maybe 25 years from now I'll be ready to move on too. Who knows?
:-) Thanks for stopping by. What happened to your Jane Austen blog?
Jessica Nelson said…
Very funny, Sandie! Hahaaahaaa. I'll make you a deal though. Entertain my kids for a few hours and I'd be happy to clean without interruption. *grin*
Dara said…
I hate cleaning. The only chore I somewhat enjoy is vacuuming. I love seeing the nice even vacuum lines on the carpet when I'm done.

I pretty much hate all the others; dishes and laundry being the tied at the top.
Jessica Nelson said…
Ooh, vacuum lines are fun. :-)

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