I've got an easy going husband and he seems to be my biggest supporter of my writing endeavors. But anyone, even me, can push it too far.
Here's the FIVE ways I do:
1. Read my WIP aloud during his favorite TV show. Can I help it if I hate Jeopardy?
2. Tell him not to call me during the day unless he was arrested or in an accident. I might be in the middle of writing a really good scene.
3. Borrow his stash of back-up discs and then forget to return them where I got them. I won the battle this week. He put them in my office.
4. Get up in the middle of the night to write something down that I know I won't remember later. I'm sorry he gets up at five AM and I don't.
5. Read him a portion from my romance WIP and then ignore his little love notes he leaves in my laptop the next morning.
So ok. Living with a writer takes some adjustment. But so does living with a golfer. I won't mention the clubs leaning in front of a bedroom mirror or the one in our TV room in case he needs to practice a shot or the buckets of golf balls cluttering my garage or the books on golf and magazines piled on the coffee table. We won't go there.
When was the last time your writing drove your family a little crazy?
51 comments:
Ok, you just lost me when I saw he leaves you love notes! How sweet is that?!?!?!
:o)
Maybe I should try #1 tonight. ;-) After all, he made me turn the volume down yesterday when I was watching Joyce Meyer.
It's a matter of priorities and making a list of how to show hubby he is #one. It does help if he has a passion also. I try to listen to his ideas and take breaks from writing to interact on his schedule...it's a challenge.
Oh! Every other day. But I guess they're used to it by now. And yes, you are a lucky woman!
Best Wishes!
LOL! For me, it's leaving him (and my daughters) to simple meals (often cold cereal) so often. So far... they don't mind too much...
I love how in so many books, in the acknowledgements, an author will thank their spouse/family for putting up with certain writerly behaviors. I love the honesty and reality.
I can't think of anything that drives my "family" crazy! It's down to just my husband and me most of the time, with our youngest in college! And he is definitely one of my biggest "fans". No problemos!!
Oh...BTW, I just know when I can get his true attention...and I don't try reading to him. I print out stuff I want him to read!!
Ha! I know I drive my husband crazy a lot. What good men we had to put up with us :)
Reading aloud when watching tv? I'm going to have to try that when my son is playing his video game I can't stand! I tend to get wrapped up, and tune out all conversation. That drives them crazy. I need to find a better way to manage my writing time so they don't feel ignored.
He leaves you love notes????? That's so sweet. My writing drives my family insane most of the time, but they are still supportive. I'm grateful for that.
Heck! I don't have to wait for my Writing to drive my family insane...I drive them insane!! And I'm so good at it that I don't even realise how I manage it!!!!!!!
Ughhhhh, let's see, Terri. The answer to that question is probably yesterday! Ha! When I disappear from view for hours at a time, chances are I'm in front of the computer. ha!
Can I help it if I want everyone else to disappear when I am writing? And that includes chores, cooking, etc. You know how that goes.
Hope you have a great day. Susan
My wife is a writer too. We laugh at a lot of writer things like leaving things on the stove too long, walking across a room to do something but by the time you get there you've forgotten what it is you were going to do. And often asking each other, "What did you say?"
Oh, I love number 5! My husband works evenings and he'll always call me after the kids go to bed--but that's my writing time! I'm always rushing him off the phone or only halfway listening to him because I'm usually in the middle of a scene.
Hmm, my list for how I drive my hubby crazy is probably just one: I tend to ignore him and everyone when I'm writing.
That's so sweet he put love notes on your computer!!!
Sigh! Quite a lot!
When people stop us and say, are those novels based on..." and waggle a finger at Hubby or son.
Patti
So cute. And a great idea for a post.
I think I may drive my hus nuts when I want to read him something I wrote, rather than letting him read it. He is a visual learner, not auditory, so he'd rather read, but I need to hear how it sounds.
But he drives me batty when he copies cassette tapes onto cd's and I hear wee snippets of annoying Southern Gospel songs through the wall when I'm trying to write.
So we're even. Ahahahahhaa!
Terri..your husband seems sweet and wonderful. Wow..he leaves you little love notes. This is guaranteed to make all of us jealous.
I drive my family up the wall (especially my mother every day). But now they are used to it.
By the way, you wanted to know which language we Indians write in. Most of us write in English. But there are several writers who write in their mother tongue, the language they speak at home. We have several languages and regions.
I drive my family a little crazy on a regular basis, but I'm not so sure which particular aspect about my writing drives them crazy. They're pretty supportive. My hubby helps me with research. My boys don't seem to mind fend-for-yourself-nights when I'm deep in a scene.
I love that your hubby leaves notes for you! Great trait.
LOL! My hubby gets a little annoyed when I write and forget to do laundry and he has no clean shirts for work. Ooops :)
Loved these. I'm adding to the list:
When he leaves his socks on the floor (or any small annoyance of that type) raise an eyebrow and remark, "My heroes NEVER do that."
He usually responds with, "That's why they call it FICTION, honey."
This was such a cute post!!! Living with a writer is crazy, crazy dreams, crazy hours and crazy moments! My husband is so good to me, I work full-time and then come and write and the one thing he always asks...
"Are you in the zone?"
If I nod then he knows the TV is his for at least an hour or two, he is patient with me if I need a notebook, or if I know a writer is coming to town that I NEED to buy their book because I'm in love!
Hi Terri -
My Mom gets a bit agitated when I'm on the computer. I've got her reading now, which keeps her occupied and gives us something writerly to discuss. :)
Blessings,
Susan
I make my boyfriend feel unloved pretty much every day by saying: 'leave me alone, I'm writing'. Apparently I don't spend enough time with him.
I don't know what he's talking about - I spend a good 6 to 7 hours a day with him.
I just happen to be asleep then.
My hubby's super supportive too, but everytime we go on a family walk, I start talking about my characters like they're real and hubby just sort of rolls his eyes and says, "Can we talk about real people today?" (in a loving sort of way, of course)
Entertaining post Terri! My husband is the strong silent type...until something takes up my time consistently. Then he'll keep asking me to come sit with him...but he really just wants me to come watch TV with him, which I just don't get!??
PS: Love notes? You are a lucky lady!!
Too cute, Terri! I think I drive my family nuts when I spend my evenings catching up on blogs and don't sit down to watch something on TV with them...again BALANCE is key!! God bless! :)
Probably the time I spend out of it while catching up on blogs and other writing related activities...Dinner, oh I was supposed to make dinner tonight?
Thanks for sharing!
Blessings,
Karen :)
My hubby's eyes glaze over when I start talking about my research...he wants to know when I'll get a book deal. He's a business guy and he's starting to look at my bottom line. :(
It's more like he drives me crazy, but I might say that just talking about it with company is starting to get on his nerves maybe a little. And you know I suffer from the same golfer husband syndrome.
Hmm, let's see, it's 8:30am.
Need I say more?
I am still laughing at you hating Jepardy. Too funny.
Yesterday I noted I was asking my son every time I go in the kitchen was he hungry. He is 17 and sometimes one poptart is food for the day. Finally I asked are you tired of me asking you that? He said yeah.
I said fine just let me know if you are. Who knew?
Secretly I am relieved, I am not a fan of cooking. I just love people who do.
I don't think my writing bothers anybody. I do it in my room on my time. So far, so good.
I also have a golfer. He does get carried away with his "hobby" more than I do with mine.
He leaves you little love notes? That's so sweet!!!
I irritate my husband by having him read my articles for typos. The first time isn't so bad. The next 23 times he gets annoyed. Especially, when he doesn't catch a difference in a sentence that I switched up.
# 4 is me! And yes that drives my husband crazy too! Not having clean laundry or a clean house now and then bugs him too, but he's usually pretty patient. Great post...made me laugh!
We share time on each end of the couch. He plays a computer game and I write. It's quiet time in each other's presence and works rather well for us.
I drive my husband crazy when I'm trying to figure out an aspect of a plot or scene, and I want him to"talk it out with me" when he has NO clue what the story is about or what I'm talking about, and more that I just need to talk out loud about it to figure it out. ha!
It drives my kids crazy when I say I just need to finish this chapter when they need me to do something.
Such a sweet post Terri.
Vickie
Aww, does he really leave you romantic post its? I'm very jealous. And yes all good points and well taken. Thanks Terri!
ha ha! I could write a post on this one, for sure (actually would you mind if I did, sometime? I'll definitely credit you with the idea!)
What I'm amazed is that you actually read your WIP to your husband. I've never been brave enough - the stuff I write is too girly. I just know he'd gag. then again, he DOES enjoy romantic comedy movies (he would NEVER admit it, but yet he sits and watches the whole thing with me, sometimes laughing more than I do!)
My husband is as supportive as they come, but when I asked him to read the third revision of my book it was too much. He even said he would read it, but never quite got around to it.
Haha, I feel like I do so many of these things to my poor boyfriend!! I just woke up in the middle of the night last night (why is that the only time I get these wonderful insights?!). I just came across your blog and love it; excited to follow you :)
It's honestly so sweet that he leaves you notes! He seems like he has a lot of patience :)
I love this, Terri! No. 4 is so me!! lol!!
Sweet Blessings!
Jackie
That's cute! Now that I read your post, I think that I may be talking to my husband too much about my blog stories... and especially about my first story being published in a local newspaper. At times, I have noticed some facial expression, almost like saying to me: "Ok...Ok..." lol
Doris
This post is so funny. I love that your hubby left notes for you-that is so sweet!
I ramble to my hubby about doubts, or what plot twist would work, etc. He doesn't give a darn, but he humors me by listening.
Your post is so cute... Men! ;)
WOW...I just loved this. You have inspired me to write a blog post of my very own.
As writing goes, my husband and I are definitely unequally yoked!
Thanks for the giggles tonight.
Loved this! My husband would def. agree with all of these. :)
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