Tuesday, November 10, 2009

She's crazy...Don't bug her!

by Jude Mason

It's been a little while since I filled my spot here and I apologize to all of you who follow us here on the Grip. The flu has knocked me on my butt and even now I'm not back up to snuff but thought I'd give it a whirl this week.

When I met my husband, he knew I was a writer. If I'm not mistaken, when I first noticed him I was writing bad poetry instead of attending class. He can't say he didn't know. But, I can say he's been the most forgiving and thoughtful man I've ever known, even when he's an a$$.

I guess the question here would be more suited to him replying, but I'll do my best in his stead. When we dated, lust and angst and all those wonderful growing up things took a lot of time away from any serious writing, although I will admit, if I hadn't put pen to paper, I might have turned out a lot crazier than I am now. Hubby's willingness to share me with those characters in my head was a given. He either did, or I walked. He had his passions, so I've got to assume he understood, to some degree, what I meant.

We married, had our kids and raised them together. As a family, we did some great amazing things, but there was always a book somewhere that I scribbled notes into. The kids knew it, and it was just part of mom. My daughter writes, not as fanatically as I do, but it's in her blood too.

While the children were growing up, my writing took a backseat to a very large extent. I'm an insomniac, as it seems a great many authors are, and often I'd be wide awake for most of the night writing. It worked for me for years. When my kids were grown and pretty much gone, that's when I finally got the bug really bad.

When I write, I'm frantic. When I'm really into a story, I'm horrible if someone disturbs me. I've even growled at my family. They know not to bother me when I'm working. LOL. It's such a part of who I am, and they all know it, I've got to assume they don't mind. If they do, well, they keep it to themselves pretty well.

That's it. I'm a royal pain but my family loves me anyway. I'd love to hear from non-writers who live with us writerly types.

13 comments:

  1. Jude,

    Huzzah! You're back! I'm glad to hear you're feeling better, and I'll bet being sick drove you nuts if it took away from your writing time.

    I like what you said about your husband having his passions too, so he'd better understand ;) We have the same deal going on here in our house, where he knows he has to let me have time to write. Otherwise, I'll do terrible, evil things to his computers (his passion).

    Take it easy, get lots of rest, and welcome back. You were certainly missed!

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  2. Helen,

    Thank you so much. I'm on antibiotics now, so hope this crud will leave soon. I'm a lousy sick person.

    I think the saying 'like attracts like' fits to some degree. Hubby and I have many differences, but in the important bits we share so many similarities it's amazing. And of course, when the kids were here, they simply grew up with me and didn't know any different. Poor dears. LOL

    Have an awesome day!

    Hugs

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  3. Jude,

    It's good to see you back. And I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has ever growled at family.

    This is a surprisingly interesting week. I hope my post doesn't disappoint on Thursday.

    Ash

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  4. Jude as a fellow writer I can say that the spouses need their own thing married to us because there are times we have to sorta ignore life and get on with it.

    I'm guilty of going to bed then getting up in the middle of the night and writing something. Have to get it down no matter the time of day or night.

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  5. Sorry to hear that you've had the flu. Miserable stuff! When I start growling I close the door to my cave so dh doesn't have to listen.

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  6. Ash,

    Yeah, I'm afraid poor hubby is gun shy when he comes into the computer room. LOL It aint my fault, honest!

    I'm looking forward to your post.

    Hugs

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  7. Rita,

    Thanks so much for stopping in. I'm always amazed at how similar we writers are. Miserable lot! The insomnia also seems a common thing among us. I wonder if it's the characters who keep us awake, or if it's us keeping them awake?

    Hugs

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  8. Paris,

    Trust me, if it was possible, I'd close the door and lock him out. Unfortunately, we share a room. Two computers, a divider and he seems to think half of all this is his. Sheesh!

    Thanks so much for stopping by.

    Hugs

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  9. Hey Jude,

    Thanks for coughing down computer. Glad you're on the mend. Guess it's that time of year.

    My husband is still trying to figure out how I can be "working" when he sees me sitting on the bed with the laptop on my lap (I don't have a dedicated space. Too many kids, lol). He still thinks I'm just 'playing'. Of course the scathing glares help shoo him from the room, but the kids know now that if mom isn't in sight, she's hiding up in her bedroom...writing.

    Great to have you back,
    Kris

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  10. Yay, so glad you're feeling better, Jude. And I've growled at my kids too, fortunately they think it's funny.

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  11. Hi, Jude,

    Checking in a bit late, but I want to tell you that we really missed you!

    My husband is an inventor/genius type. So I'm not the only one who keeps a notebook beside the bed and who wakes up in the middle of the night to jot something down!

    Hope you are back to 100% soon!

    Hugs,
    Lisabet

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  12. I had to take a second Z Pack of antibiotics, but I think I am over the crud!
    Writers aren't the only ones with the 'leave me alone' disease. I am a retired teacher and when I was working on lesson plans, tests, journals, etc. my family knew to stay away. They said that I didn't hiss like a cat, but growled like a wild dog if they dared bother me!

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  13. I met my second husband in a writing class after my first husband told me either I picked him or the "trash" I wanted to write. Mind you he was talking about the old style gothics where barely more than a kiss is ever exchanged. In my second marriage, I published first and my second husband, John, said to me, "If you can sell, so can I", and proceeded to prove it. We had amalgamated my five kids with his two, but all except one of mine where either in college or high schoolers--both of his were in high school, too. We did so well he soon retired to write full time. We didn't ever collaborate, but I edited his work and he mine--which was great for both of us. We never argued over a book. In other words our writing relationship was a dream, especially after all our kids were on their own and my last one in college. If only we could have agreed on a division of chores as easily. He couldn't even boil water, so I did all the shopping and cooking and clothes washing. But he did pay for a cleaning woman once a week. He was also definitely not technical minded. I even had to change his typewriter ribbons long after I was using a computer. Even when he finally decided to get one, he had the guy who sold it come out and set it so it went directly to the writing page and he never did anothing else on it. In the end, it was the writing that kept us together, because we both understood that part of each other so well. Our writing was nothing alike and we had to have two separate writing rooms (with closed doors) because he read all his dialogue aloud and I liked to play music when I wrote. So, yes, I know about living with a writer. He's dead now and I live with the Viking from my past, who is totally accepting of my writing idiosyncracies and can even cook! Jane Toombs

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