How To Keep A Writer Entertained And Happy

This is just a short list of things you can do to help keep life with your Writer a little more comfortable for the both of you. Whether your Writer is your wife, room-mate, sister, daughter, or strange person who comes over in her sleep to use your computer, using these tips could make things a little easier.

(Disclaimer: Every Writer and situation is different. If you discover that your Writer does not like any one of these tips please discontinue its use and attempt to find a suitable substitute. Also, the Writer is referred to as ‘she’, this is simply because I am a female Writer and have no knowledge of what it is like being a male Writer. Sorry.)

1. Keep her surrounded by books. Preferably from her favorite genre or author, if not, just be sure it’s not drivel.
2. Make sure you do not interrupt her supply of coffee, soda, apple juice, gin and tonic, Twinnings decaf English Breakfast tea (or, you know, whatever she drinks).
3. Chocolate is always welcome, especially while really buckling down to get stuff done (rather than staring at the wall thinking about what she is going to get done…).
4. Allow her to keep her environment the way she wants it. If the room is too cold for her to work comfortably, let her bring in a space heater; if she needs things to be quiet, put the pets and kids in another area of the house; if she needs to have no interruptions…
5. Do not be suicidal. This one is a little more tricky. It includes things such as asking how the ‘writing thing’ is going today, then walking off before she is three words into the answer. Or peeking over her shoulder to watch the words appear on the computer screen. It doesn’t matter how mild mannered she is, you have just died a horrifying death in her mind… repeatedly. Please refrain from such actions so that she does not have the urge to act on these imaginings in the real world. Prison time could really interfere with her ‘writing thing’.
6. Hugs. Some Writers need a lot of hugs (from the right people/person). There are several universes competing for face time inside her head, and she is working really hard to remember which one is ‘reality’. Hugs help her remember.
7. Encourage her to occasionally take a little time to watch a good movie with you. This could include: Princess Bride, Star Wars, Thor, Beauty and the Beast, Sabrina, The Avengers, Quigley Down Under, Labyrinth, Hotel Transylvania, The Blind Side, Captain America, etc.
8. From time to time you may find that it would be in her best interest to help her leave the house. On these rare occasions (such as Christmas, family vacations, and her annual physical) you may need to ‘encourage’ her as she leaves the house. Don’t be alarmed if this results in claw marks in the door jam. A little buffing and that’ll come right out.
9. You may occasionally need to be a sounding board. If your Writer feels the need to talk about her work in progress with you, please listen. She most likely just needs to hear something aloud so as to clarify it in her mind. Also, please do not be offended when she spaces out in the middle of a sentence and rushes back to her computer. You have helped, really.
10. When you do interrupt her creative flow, please be sure that it is for a worthwhile cause, such as: the house is on fire; one of the kids needs to go to the emergency room; those sirens mean a tornado is coming and we all need to get into the basement; and the most important one of all “Dinner is ready”.

While this is just the tip of the ice burg, I hope it will help keep your life and relationship with your Writer on an even keel.

Lovely tea. 🙂

.

Most of these are meant half jokingly,

but there is at least a little truth in all of them.

.