When it came time to say "I do," there was no question of my decision. My husband has all of my heart, and I wouldn't trade his love for anything. There's just a tiny detail you may not know.
You see, I married a writer.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, in fact, it suits me fine. I love his creativity, his diligence and his style. He's a deep thinker, and his imagination was one of the things that drew me to him in the first place. There's nothing wrong with marrying a writer.
But writers do have their quirks.
For starters, he might ask to share his writing with me. Anyone who knows or loves a writer understands that when their writer offers them a peek at his work, it's because he trusts them. The rougher the draft, the more vulnerable your writer is in that moment, and so, when my writer offers to let me read, I always say yes.
Besides, I'm dying to know what he's been up to over the last year...
It should be noted, however, that writers sharing their work are usually looking for your initial impression, not your harshest critique. Constructive criticism may be welcome... or may not. After all, you're probably not looking at their finished product.
Honesty is important, but so is tact. Writers are people too, you know, and they do have feelings.
Of course, when it comes to my husband, he always appreciates my feedback.
Then, there are the times when writers get needy. They've gotta run a story idea past you. They want to tell you about a new character. They throw out hypothetical questions about situations happening in their imaginary worlds over dinner when all you want to do is eat. They "need to know how this sounds" as if they don't have ears of their own.
Personally, I love it when my husband wants to talk shop with me. It makes me feel involved. It's cool to be a privy to a world in which the two of us are the only inhabitants - the omniscient observers sharing secrets. It's probably my favorite part about marrying a writer.
Unless I'm trying to sleep.
But it's not all rainbows and sunshine when you marry a writer. Writers can be moody. Sometimes, they sulk or brood for hours at a time for what seems like no reason. Other times, the pressures of putting words on the page, submitting to publishers or receiving a dreaded rejection letter get them into a funk. It's hard when your writer is crushed under the pressure of his work.
When times like these come along, I'm glad to be there for my husband. One of a writer's greatest assets is to have someone there to support them during the hard times. We work through the funks together, as a team. We cheer each other on and dust each other off. We try again, ever onward, as we strive for our goals.
Because, you see, he also married a writer.
