Married to a Writer : An Interview With My Husband

We sit at our kitchen table, the left over turkey burgers and cucumbers not yet sealed in foil and put in the fridge. Mr. Bell wears a red and white “ugly Christmas” shirt with a science theme. I’m rocking my rainbow skirt.

How many times have you wished I would stop talking about disemboweled bodies during a meal?

At least thrice. Wait, don’t say thrice. You can say at least three times that I can remember. I’m sure there were others.

We are pretty different, wouldn’t you agree? Are there any advantages to having a creative as a spouse, especially as a more analytical person?

You’re more imaginative, and when it comes to making decisions, you can see possibilities that I am not able to consider. For me, things are typically one way or the other. For you, there’s a thousand different options. So I feel like, between the two of us, we’re checking all the boxes.

Also, you’re way better at words. It takes me hours to write an email. Literally, hours.

Do I have any writer quirks? Is there anything I do, or a certain way I act, when I'm writing? Any signs that say "go away, I'm busy"?
You get really focused and I can tell when your brain is somewhere else. You’re in the zone, especially if your brainstorming a new story. Sometimes I’ll ask you a question and you’ll give me a short quiet answer. That means I should leave you alone.

Will you allow me to buy another dog?
Nooooooo…. I won’t. You won’t trick me this time.

What's the biggest frustration of being married to a writer?
Seeing you get frustrated, because I want to help and I know I can’t. I want to get you unstuck, but obviously, I don’t want to influence your ideas. Plus, I can’t always relate to your thought process.

Let's play a game. I'm going to use some publishing terms and we're going to see if you can define them:
Query : Is that the cover letter you send when you’re trying to get a publication noticed?
WIP : I think that’s work-in-progress
Proposal : Before you write something, like an outline of where you want the story to go, to try to get someone to pay you to write it.
Slush pile : That’s where the literary agent people put the stories that they don’t accept.
Comps : Like, compositions?
ARCs : A character’s flow, journey throughout the story. How they change and grow.
Blurp : When another author gives you a quote to put on your book cover

Well, thank you so much for sitting down with me. I know you’re not a huge fan of being in the spotlight so I appreciate it.

No problem.

Thanks to Mr. Bell for his time and insight!

Does an Unpublished Writer Need a Website?

Yes.

Thanks for visiting!...No, wait! There's more!!

Yes, I am of the firm belief you need a website even if you're not published. Why?

1. To build a platform: Platforms for the unpublished writer run the risk of becoming a Catch 22. You need a platform to get published, but you can't build a mega platform unless you are published. Okay, true, but that doesn't mean you can't get started and show publishers that you have what it takes to connect with potential readers. If you're not on social media, it's time to suck it up and get an account. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are the holy trinity of social media, at least for the time being. As the times change, make sure you do to and get your name out there.

But once a potential reader has your name, they'll naturally want to know everything about you. That's when they'd go to your website where they can read your background, your blog and exciting news about upcoming publications. If you don't have one, it's harder for a reader to connect with you. And with so many new and promising writers, they'll put you aside and move on.

2. Branding : Social media allows us to give snippets of information, show tiny pieces of who we are and what we're all about. A website expands on that and allows the opportunity to really deliver authentic content to an audience. It's a chance to show your creativity through not only content, but the design of your site, photographs, videos...even the colors you pick say something about you. A website delves into your brand, who you are, what you have to say about yourself and to your audience. And a bad website says a lot. Someone who doesn't even have a website...well, I think that says something too.

But you may be asking, why should I invest money and time into a career that may never take off?

This is the question the majority of unpublished writers ask, and I'm sure the majority of published authors have asked at some point in their past. Simply, you don't have to be a published writer to write. Do what you love and what works best for you. But if you want to be published, whether traditionally or self-published, you need to invest in yourself (perhaps even more if self-published). Think of writing as a job, even if you only have an hour every other day to invest. And money? You don't need to pay for a website if you don't want to. My first website was through blogger.com and I didn't pay a dime.

BUT...you might be saying you don't know how to run a website!

Unless it's your job to make websites, you're not going to know what you're doing. And that's okay because there are tons of tutorials, plus companies like blogger.com or Squarespace make it very user friendly.

BUT BUT...you may just be scared.

Okay, this one I totally understand. Putting yourself out there is scary. You basically are opening a vein and being like "Judge me!!". But remember, you're in control of your website! So if you don't want to mention the time you got drunk at your work party and tripped into a koi pond, don't. And really, why would you? It has nothing to do with writing...unless you have a character who did a similar thing, then I could see why you'd include the anecdote. But really, it's up to you.

I mentioned "bad" websites earlier. I'm of the opinion that there are no perfect websites. We can all use some edits, so don't worry about striving for perfection. When I say "bad", I really mean bad content. Or if you never update it. Just think of website you've been on that left you unimpressed and do the opposite. Easy, right? :)

Now get started and enjoy!