Your Significant Other's Other

Lost World · Mar 1, 2009

Has this ever happened to any of you gentlemen/ladies...?

You've spent anywhere from a few days to a couple of years writing what you believe is the perfect story/novel. All the while your significant other is begging to read your work, the project that has become your purpose in life for however many hours a week you devote to working on it. It's a closed-door operation for most of us, I should think. Speaking for myself, I don't let mine read my work until after the first revision (jinxes and all, if you can relate).

But whatever the case, and whenever you decide to let her/him read what you've created, you soon find that you have a problem.

You're being cheated on. You're a cuckold.

No shame; I'm sure it's happened to many of you, just as it's happened to me. The question is who? Who is your significant other's other? Which big-time writer is the bully cramping your style, the guy kicking sand in your face?

For me it's John Saul. For every fifteen minutes my girlfriend spends reading my stuff she spends an hour reading The Blackstone Chronicles. F%(%*&^%*&%ING BITCH! But I don't put up with it, hell no. I've told her to take up with Saul, to move to Maui and throw herself at his feet. I don't know if he's married (probably is, but I don't have his bio handy right now, and what difference does it make for the purpose of this rambling?), but I've given them my blessing. He is, after all, the man who can support her in the manner that she deserves, i.e. Bentley, mansion, tropics, cash, etc...

Who am I to stand in the way of true love?

So what about you? Before you answer, don't bother to answer if it's no one; and don't bother to tell me that I wouldn't have this problem if my writing didn't suck so bad. I'm trying to have a little fun here and I don't need your stupid cliches cluttering the following thread. This is a serious question, and if it's ever happened to you I'd like to know. Simple enough.

Lyra Jean · Mar 1, 2009

You don't need any of my stupid cliches cluttering up the following thread? WTF.

Actually it is no one because my SO doesn't particularly like reading. He reads my stuff the same he reads anyone's stuff. But if competition was there it would be Heinlein. And dude I let him because Heinlein is a Master. If only a were half as good or even a quarter.

So there's the first cliche cluttering up the thread. :tongue

indiriverflow · Mar 1, 2009

We've had this problem before. With her, it's Tom Robbins. She babbles about it for days, with every re-read. How great the characters are, how well the zany plots tie together, how hot it all gets her. I don't disagree, but I wonder if, when she's reading my drafts, she's secretly imagining Tom. But I can't complain.

We have an open relationship, and besides, my PI lets me know every time she goes to the bookstore.

Ms Hollands · Mar 2, 2009

If my other half or anyone else wants to read my work, I let them. Sometimes they give me constructive criticism instead of the standard back slapping, which I appreciate far more than just saying they love it. Certainly no negative feelings from any of that. Is this another one of those writers' stereotypes I'm meant to live/play-up to but don't?

Mr Flibble · Mar 2, 2009

Well I suppose I could tell my Old Man to shack up with Dan Abnett - don't know quite how that'd play out though

James81 · Mar 2, 2009

Shoot for the moon, buddy, even if you miss you'll land among the stars. Hang in there, you'll get through this. If it's meant to be, it'll work out.

Soccer Mom · Mar 2, 2009

My husband reads John Ringo.

Now you all know my secret shame. I hope there's a support group for this. Maybe I should be on Dr. Phil.

Wayne K · Mar 2, 2009

Everyone my wife reads humbles me as a writer so I have no problem with her cheating on me that way.

Clair Dickson · Mar 2, 2009

My husband doesn't read any of my stuff.

It never crossed my mind that he should... or that not doing so was "cheating."

He's a grown man. I married him because he had his own tastes and opinions. Not because he was my adoring fan or because he lavished praises on all my actions. (Neither of which he actually does.)

He also checks out other women. He's married, not dead.

Red-Green · Mar 2, 2009

My husband's other is non-fiction. Geo-political non-fiction. It's like knowing he's got some esoteric fetish I can never provide for him.

tehuti88 · Mar 2, 2009

I haven't a significant other, but I have my parents. They never clamor to read my work. My father doesn't read. My mother's not big on reading, but when she does, it seems to be historical fiction romance-type things like "The Other Boleyn Girl" or "The Dutchess" or whatever. I remember one time she even read an entire novelization of "Labyrinth" when she claims not to like fantasy, which is what I write. I write historical fantasy! Suffice it to say my parents never read anything of mine and if I say more than a couple of words on the subject their eyes glaze over. She's always talking about all the drama and intrigue in those historical novels without any idea of all the drama and intrigue in mine. She could read that "Labyrinth" thing but not one of my stories? *sigh*

maestrowork · Mar 2, 2009

I have an open relationship.

Sometimes the more the merrier.

NeuroFizz · Mar 2, 2009

Lost World said:
No shame; I'm sure it's happened to many of you, just as it's happened to me. The question is who? Who is your significant other's other? Which big-time writer is the bully cramping your style, the guy kicking sand in your face?

For me it's John Saul. For every fifteen minutes my girlfriend spends reading my stuff she spends an hour reading The Blackstone Chronicles. F%(%*&^%*&%ING BITCH! But I don't put up with it, hell no. I've told her to take up with Saul, to move to Maui and throw herself at his feet. I don't know if he's married (probably is, but I don't have his bio handy right now, and what difference does it make for the purpose of this rambling?), but I've given them my blessing. He is, after all, the man who can support her in the manner that she deserves, i.e. Bentley, mansion, tropics, cash, etc...

Who am I to stand in the way of true love?

So what about you? Before you answer, don't bother to answer if it's no one; and don't bother to tell me that I wouldn't have this problem if my writing didn't suck so bad. I'm trying to have a little fun here and I don't need your stupid cliches cluttering the following thread. This is a serious question, and if it's ever happened to you I'd like to know. Simple enough.

I presume from the clever irony represented in the bolded parts above (my bolding) that you are more interested in the "having a little fun" than in a serious answer. My response is a little of the latter, but mostly the former:

I have been frustrated by The Red Tent, and I've been sent to The Shack and back on Saturday, but all I seem to be able to write is genre fiction. She reads it ~~like a trooper~~, though, and gives good comments.

LaurieD · Mar 2, 2009

Mine' usually gives my work a read once every couple of weeks to check out what's new, keeps my story realistic. He's been having an affair with my car. Had been having a triangle of sorts with my car and his car, but that ended after I spent a few hours with him and his car in the garage the other night. :e2brows:

Now his car is back on the road, and from what I've been able to decode from his hints on his Facebook page, he's planning quite a bit of alone time with my car... the headgasket a bit of a case

Bookdragonette · Mar 2, 2009

Eeehh, if he can put up with my raving about Patrick O'Brian, Sir Terry Pratchett (of whom he's also a fan), Neil Gaiman, just to name a few, I can put up with him reading Robert Jordan, who's just not doing it for me. As long as we are both honest about our latest tryst, I'm ok. But we tend to share the same tastes. And he likes what I write.

selkn.asrai · Mar 2, 2009

He doesn't really read my work, though I will ask his opinion on certain lines, or talk my thoughts out with him. My writing style is not his preference (which I blame on R.A. Salvatore and S.M. Stirling

), but he listens to my rants about my work. He also listens me rave about some authors and criticize more.

I would never expect any less. Our interests are polar opposites. It guarantees he won't fawn or let me do anything less than my best, and lets me see the solid reasons why I chose to include this element or use that phrasing when he asks me why.

Got to admit, it's pretty awesome.

sassandgroove · Mar 2, 2009

My Husband says his other woman is Lara Croft. (Tombraider games for those of you who don't know.) He spends a lot of time with his Xbox360. sometimes he switches to RPG's where he'll pour over books making up characters and converting stats for hours.

willietheshakes · Mar 2, 2009

NeuroFizz said:
I have been frustrated by The Red Tent

Well, I think we've all been there. But there are ways to work around it.

Your Significant Other's Other

Lost World

He'll NEVER fit in!

Lyra Jean

Two years old now.

indiriverflow

Ms Hollands

Cow lover

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

James81

Great Scott Member

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Wayne K

Clair Dickson

A dark core to every cloud

Red-Green

KoalaKoalaKoala!

tehuti88

Mackinac Island Fanatic

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

NeuroFizz

The grad students did it

LaurieD

aka Skwirrel

Bookdragonette

Differently Actual

selkn.asrai

Rawr.

sassandgroove

Sassy haircut

willietheshakes

Gentleman. Scholar. Bastard.