Although writing itself can be a solitary endeavor… it’s become increasingly clear that launching a writing career is anything but. Finding and working with an agent (and then a publisher and editor), developing a platform, collaborating with beta readers, networking with other writers – every step of the way there are people who can, and often times do, end up playing a crucial role in getting that career airborne.
Fortunately for me, I’ve had a very good co-pilot the last couple of years. My wife is more often than not a silent partner, and she’s not a big time reader or editor of my work (in fact, she’s barely read anything at all), but from the beginning she’s been my biggest supporter. From a simple “how’s it going?” when she sees me staring at the screen, to just quietly bringing me a beer because she doesn’t even have to ask how it’s going, there’s not a word I’ve written that she didn’t help me write – all without ever sitting down next to me or ever grabbing a pen.
The path of a professional writer is a rocky one: there’s frustration and failure all along the way. There are days when the words don’t flow, and there are days when they do flow and still suck. There are agents and publishers who just don’t get it, readers who just won’t buy it, and every time someone else succeeds, it only serves to remind you just how much further you still have to go. That’s why my wife is the perfect partner (in crime) – she provides unconditional support and unwavering dedication. She never gets angry or frustrated or disappointed. She never tells me I’m wasting my time, and – just as importantly – she never begrudges the time I do spend staring at the screen. If I “break thru” there will be lots of people I can and will thank and recognize for helping me do so, but she’ll be at the top of the list. Not only did she jump in with both feet with helping me raise my three daughters (and I could probably write a whole book just on that), she also accepted the challenge of living with a struggling “artist”…
For her it’s not about what I write or whether anyone ever reads it, it’s all about understanding that the writing itself is important to me, even on those days I want to set my computer on fire.
And when those days come, she’s ready with a beer in one hand, and a fire extinguisher in the other.
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