A Word From My Better Half

During a quiet moment in our household, my wife put her hand on my shoulder, looked into my eyes, and said,

"I hated your last blog entry."

I asked why.

"I couldn't tell if you were bragging, or whining. Sounded like a little of both."

For those who don't know my wife, she's a wonderful person and I'm lucky to have her. It's doubtful I could have weathered a decade of rejection without her constant support. So when she says something, I take notice.

"My blog is all about the publishing industry" I told her. "I'm just showing how busy a professional writer is."

"Do you remember all those years you weren't published? How much you whined about that? Now you've got what you've always wanted, and you're still whining."

"I'm behind in everything, and I wanted to let people know why."

"See? You're whining again."

"Maybe I'll go whining to a divorce attorney."

"I won't divorce you until you make more money."

Such is love.

But I would like to use this instance to bring up a point never mentioned on blogs--the importance of a significant other.

Writers are perhaps more insecure than the general population. We need support networks. My primary support has been my wife. She's my first reader and editor, the one I talk to about every aspect of this business, the one whose opinion I value most. It can't be easy living with a writer--especially me. But my wife is always encouraging, always there for me, and always has a wonderful sense of humor about everything.

I often say during library speeches, "The single most important thing any of you can do to get published, is marry my wife."

It gets a laugh. But it's true.

So, go on. Go give that significant other a big hug and tell them how much they mean to you. They've felt every rejeciton, just as you have. They've been a part of every victory. In many ways, they're living the publishing life too.

Thanks, Maria!