WRITING IS A LONELY JOB.
HAVING SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES IN YOU MAKES A
LOT OF DIFFERENCE.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO MAKE SPEECHES.
JUST BELIEVING IS USUALLY ENOUGH.
(Stephen King)
My husband and I have known each other for about twenty years. We went from just friends to more than friends to best friends/husband and wife. We've moved from one state to another, from one job to another, from one house to another. We've both gained and lost weight, while one of us - ahem! - has lost some hair. We've made meals and jokes and memories even as our tastes and circumstances changed.
One thing that has not changed is my husband's belief in me and my writing. His faith has not wavered. While I doubt myself, he never does. While I moan and groan and cry, he listens and makes suggestions and feeds me chocolate and reminds me of what I've already accomplished. He reads my words, my stories, my chapters, and he gives me his absolute honest opinion even if he knows it means me getting mad. When I receive good writing news, he cheers louder than anyone. One of my greatest fears is disappointing him, and yet he says this is something I could never do. I swear, somewhere along the line I did something right to end up with my husband. (Or, he did something "wrong" to end up in the crazy boat with me, but that's a philosophical discussion for another day.)
My hope is for everyone out there to have someone like my husband in their lives. Whether it's your spouse, your best friend, a sibling, a parent, a teacher, just someone who believes in you. If you'd like to, give that person a shout out in the comments.
My wife is my believer. Everyone needs a cheerleader.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Alex!
DeleteAw, what a good hubby you have! I have one too. We're so blessed!
ReplyDeleteI so agree, Emily. We are definitely blessed. :)
DeleteThat is so awesome to have an in house support group. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy kids support me and I know my daughter will be a most efficient 'evil editor' in late August when I am ready to hand over my work. (Please note the 'this' will happen aspect. It will. I've even picked out my cover art. This WILL happen ;)
How awesome that your kids are so supportive! And you're setting a great example for them of someone who has dreams, goes after goals and then achieves them. :)
DeleteMy significant other, my brother and sister-in-law are my cheerleaders. If I make it across the finish line, it'll only be because they got me there.
ReplyDeleteNow that sounds like the perfect dedication for your book.... :)
DeleteWhat a wonderful post! You're lucky to have someone who supports you so completely.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by today. ☺
Thank you! I hope you enjoyed being "blitzed" today. :)
Deletejust beautiful!
ReplyDeletemy blog friends get me thru! no one else really gets it around here...
Yeh for blog friends! I'm so glad I have them, too. :)
DeleteI don't really share my writing enough with my husband for him to be my cheerleader, which is my fault really. I guess I'm still nervous about it. Must get over that ...
ReplyDeleteI think you can support and encourage people without totally understanding. My husband doesn't always "get" my stories but he always tries and supports me in whatever I decide. I bet your husband is your cheerleader in that regard.
DeleteYay! My hubby is awesome like that too, except he feeds me cheese instead of chocolate. =) He keeps telling me I'm a great writer. I try to believe him. Try. Some days I succeed. Then he reads an old project and gives me the smack down--no mercy. Yup. Couldn't do it without him. Thankfully I've got a sister who expresses some tact when subtly saying, "That sucked, but I know you'll write it better in the next draft."
ReplyDeleteIt's so important to have people in your life who will be honest with you about your work. And who will feed you cheese and/or chocolate. :)
DeleteI would say that you are very lucky to have such great support from your hubby. I am also lucky that my husband supports me too, not that I am writing more than a blog but still he always reads it and provides positive comments. Like you and your husband we started as friends before it went further, so we always have that intellectual connection as well.
ReplyDeleteI think it's so great that your husband reads your blog! My husband reads mine and he'll tell me how he likes somebody's comment etc.
DeleteYay for supportive husbands! I am also grateful for my husband's support. A lot of the times when I'm going through the crazy phases that writers go through, he'd just sit and listen to me.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has gotten very used to my crazy writing phases - the ups, the downs, the rejections, the publications etc. :)
DeleteYou're very lucky Madeline but I guess your hubby is just as lucky to have you in his corner too. My hubby is probably the one person who is always there for me... not that I write more than my blog. Still he's been behind me 100% :)
ReplyDeleteI know there's two comments here, but I just wanted to say thank you for saying he's lucky to have me as well. He says the same thing. :)
DeleteHi Madeline, Blogger doesn't seem to like my Wordpress profile so I wasn't sure that it went through the first time :)
DeleteNo worries!
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