How Writing Has Affected My Family Life
Creative writing was never a hobby, so it surprised my wife when I told her I wanted to publish a book. She cheerfully replied, “It will be fun to see what you come up with.” So, that evening, I began writing my first book.
Not much changed after that uneventful beginning. My daughter went to school, my wife worked, and I typed. If I had not decided to write, I still would have been in front of my computer researching/writing up business ideas or perhaps playing video games.
I occasionally asked my wife medical questions or other opinions. Occasionally, my daughter would ask what I was doing, and I would cheerfully describe my plots. Otherwise, they took a hands-off approach. Their choice to be on the sidelines makes sense because writing is an introvert/personal process that is difficult to share.
I worked hard to avoid drawing story content from my family life because I did not want my plots to be thinly veiled versions of us. If I had not taken this step, my book would have been titled “The Conrad Adventure.” Boring. Granted, in my second book, the main character was an Engineer. In my defense, this choice was a plot element. Yes, this is a feeble defense.
The months passed, and my efforts paid off with a published book. My accomplishment excited my family; there was a lot of buzz in our household. A touching moment occurred when my daughter read the dedication and realized that she was important enough in my life to be mentioned. Of course, she was!
The buzz soon faded, and our household returned to normal. I still sit at the computer silently writing and occasionally ask my wife questions. Recently she told me how a unitary catheter works. Ouch!
There is one important point I need to explain. My family is my highest priority, and I am not one of those obsessed authors where writing is my only outlet. I write because it is fun and creative.
Overall, writing consumes time that I probably should be spent elsewhere. My family considers my activity to be a hobby. They have their interests, including social media and baseball. I can spend my free time on those activities or starting a new hobby like golf. No, wait. Writing is MUCH cheaper.
The overall answer to this profound question is that writing consumes time. My wife and daughter certainly do not introduce me as “Bill, the author,” I would never put that title on a business card. If one of my books becomes a significant success, then there might be changes, but I doubt it. Was this a surprise? Initially, I expected immediate success, fame, and, of course, sales. Reality often surprises us.
You’re the best -Bill
July 18, 2018 Updated June 28, 2023
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