Us creative types, especially those of us who spend most of our time working alone, can become a bit self-obsessed at times. Or maybe I should have said, completely self-obsessed. When this happens I have to remind myself that no, I am not alone and that I couldn’t do what I do without the help and support of others.
A Family Affair
First amongst these are the members of my family, especially my wife. They have a lot to put up with, even if they aren’t usually all that interested in what I write. Or maybe that makes things even more demanding of them.
They have to show understanding as to why some obscure development in the publishing world or a minor hiccup with one of my stories is such a big deal to me, when, to them, it looks like barely a ripple in anyone’s pool.
They have to offer up a shoulder for me to lean on when it all goes horribly wrong (which, I’m pleased to say, isn’t all that often). A few words of encouragement, a professed acknowledgement of my immense talent and, when it’s needed, a kick up the backside are all part of the service here.
Perhaps worst of all, they have to show tolerance in listening to me waffle on for ages about something understandably fascinating to me from the world of writing and publishing, but of no interest whatsoever to them, or most other people for that matter.
And on top of all of that, they have allowed me physical space for not one but two desks and a book collection that is definitely unreasonably large. I try to stop the latter from growing but, if you’re a book fan, then you’ll appreciate how hard that is to do.
Back of Stage
And family are not the only ones I need to remember, for there is a crew of people who beaver away at the back of stage, without whom the show would not go on, or certainly not as well as it does.
There’s an editor, who doesn’t just do a crucial job as the professional they are but also often ends up acting as some sort of agony aunt, helping me work my way through the latest minor crisis. And crisis, of course, is a relevant term, which means mine are invariably so insignificant they are barely worth mentioning.
Then there is a plethora of others, including cover designers, publishers, marketing folk and anyone else I fall into some sort of relationship with on-line or IRL, who also get the opportunity to play their part in my ongoing journey.
And last, but by no means least, there are other authors. It can be fun, enlightening and supportive talking to other authors, however that does always bring with it the danger that we simply end up sharing our neuroses. They do, however, at least understand where we’re coming from when we need to talk about some obscure development in the publishing world, why we’re having such a hard time with our latest work in progress or, even, why we are so keen to celebrate a small win.
Remember, I am Not Alone
But all of these tend to be a relatively minor part of my author life. Which brings me back to where I came in and making sure I remind myself from time-to-time that without the understanding and support of my wife and family none of this would be possible. So, one more time, I say no, I am not alone.
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