Keeping The Dream Alive
May 2003 HODRW Newsletter Article
by Jane Choate
"Am I crazy because I'm a writer or am I a writer because I'm crazy?" I asked my husband one morning when the words came only after I had sweat blood.
"Both," he answered without missing a beat.
Great. I'm a crazy writer. Talk about redundancies. Though I've made many good friends in my quest in finding the right words (and the right publisher), writing remains essentially a solitary business. I sit at my computer, surrounded by books and stacks of manuscripts--alone. How do I explain to my non-writing friends that, no, I don't turn out "one of those books" by simply plugging names and places into a computer program? How do I convince my children that, no, just because Mom works at home, she is not available for round-the-clock maid service and chauffeuring? And how do I persuade my husband that, yes, cold cereal qualifies as dinner? I enjoy my friends. I adore my children (mostly). And I love my husband, though he refers to me as "my wife, the crazy writer."
Writing friends fill an important place in my life. It is through them, and with them, that I keep the dream alive. Our chapter meetings and the friends we make through them give us the support and encouragement to keep going.
Let us rejoice with each other on the successes and console each other on the setbacks of this quirky business. Most importantly, let us all keep writing.