I have spoken with several other authors and have found that we all have one thing in common, writing partners. This may strike many people as odd, even funny. I suppose I should explain.
I am not suggesting that we have co-authors. For that, we would need to share the credit for our work. Rather I am talking about the companions that help us with inspiration and keeping that feeling of isolation at bay during those long writing sessions when we are deep into the creative process. The obvious thought here would be to look at the friends and family that surround me. I know that many in my profession are happily married and even have wonderful supportive families. My children bring me great joy and I often turn to my daughter and best friend for advice. I cannot thank my friends and family enough for the support that they provide. But I am careful to keep them all at arm’s length when I am actively engaged in writing.
Nope for me, my writing partner has four legs, a long tongue, brown fur, and a waggly tail. My dog often can be found on my bed, sleeping the day away. But somehow, she seems to know when I am working on my writing. In those hours she comes to my office and settles in behind my chair as if to keep me from stepping away from my computer.
Another writer friend of mine has a cat that likes to sit at her desk while she writes. I recently read about another author who has a cat that has to sit on her lap. I find these writing partners in part a comic relief to the long hours that go into creating a novel. But they are so much more. Writing is an emotional and personal process. It is an outlet, and joy, and a cathartic journey of the heart and soul. But it can be lonely. It is perhaps for this reason that I am always grateful for my dog. I have grown particularly fond of my Mut. She is there when I need her and always asks me to let her out when I need a break.
So perhaps with my next work, when my publisher asks for a contributing author, I will think about adding my dog’s name. She certainly helps to keep me on task.
Comentários