Guest blog - on living with a writer

This week was my turn to provide a post from a guest blogger. I looked about me for inspiration and my eyes alighted on my husband. 'Dearest,' I said, 'would you...' 

It took a bit of persuasion, but here Ignatius McGurl has written us a post on what it's like to live with a writer...

The start, the idea, the research, the excitement of a new book in gestation, it's all very exciting at this stage, lots of enthusiasm, no mention of sticky middles or character arcs not being right. Requests for character names, what do you think of this idea, what do you think of that idea, would that work or is this better? This sounds easy, I'm sure she'll have this book written in no time. It all settles down with occasional mentions of "I've written a zillion words today."

Then a previously written book comes back with editor feedback. Always opened with a certain amount of trepidation ever since the 'suggestion' to take the ghost out of a ghost story novel. Editor feedback always arrives late on a Friday afternoon. Usually mumbling and grumbling about sorting out character arcs, making some character more likeable, changing the start, the ending, the middle. Or all three. Often seems like a lot of work but usually nothing that some wine, hugs and reassurance can't help overcome.

The current book is put on the back burner and I'm expected to remember some characters and plots from what seems like the dim and distant past in order to have some sympathetic input into the editing process. I don't have the writer's ability to pigeonhole them separately to the lot in the book being currently written. Edits get done and she's back to the current book. Hurray all plain sailing now. Oh I almost forgot - the sticky middle. Sticky middle, all gets bogged down, she's never going to finish this book.... but I know better. We've been here with every other book. No matter how bad the sticky middle is, it always works out in the end. Just have to hope the sticky middle doesn't go on too long.

The end, the book is finished, the title is agreed, the cover is chosen. Just cover reveal, publication date, blog tours, social media promotions and the like to go. Who'd have thought there was so much more to writing a book than writing? Did I mention five-star reviews or heaven forbid, a one or two star one? Rankings, or the excitement of having two books on the same page of some American book chart.

The great thing about living with a novelist is the sharing of the the joy and excitement, the ups and downs of the creation of a novel without having to do any of the hard work. However it's somewhat similar to the male role in childbirth... a tad underestimated!

Good to see things from the opposite point of view at times! And yes, I do very much appreciate all the support. Can't be easy, especially not when I am in the sticky middle!