My Biggest Fan
Dear Maggie,
I read that you are married. Does your husband read your books?
Also Married in Minneapolis
Dear Also Married,
Yes! He reads everything I write. In fact, I credit him for pushing me to write my first book. I’ve always been told I’m a good writer, but there’s a big difference between writing a research paper for school, or a blog post for a journal, or ad copy for work. Crafting an entire story, start to finish, always felt intimidating to me. For many years, with young children and a satisfying career in education, I didn’t have the mental energy or the creative spark to even think about writing fiction. But, as my kids got older, I began considering what I wanted to do next in my professional life. Persistently, in the background, my husband would say, “Write a book already.” I’d reply, in a rather snarky tone, “Oh, you think it’s so easy?” Then he’d shrug and answer, “No, but I know you can do it.”
This went on for a while, until finally I decided to give it a try. It took me nine months to draft my first manuscript, and as a mom of four, the irony is not lost on me. The narrative needed a lot of work, but I knew I had the bones of a good story. He knew it too. Not only did he push me to write that first book, but he encouraged me to go ahead and make a career out of writing. Without his support and belief in me, I would not be here now answering this question!
As far as the stories themselves, he reads them all - from the horror, which he doesn’t really like, to the romance, which he really enjoys (not too surprising as he also loves chick flicks), to the science fiction, which I think are his favorites. He encourages me when I’m stuck on a project, gives good notes on the drafts, and celebrates with me I publish something new. I am very lucky to have him as my biggest fan!
Do you have a question for me? Send it to maggie@msmaggieclare.com, and I’ll answer it here on the blog.
In other news…
In case you missed it, my good friend Monica Rodgers interviewed me on her Revelation Project podcast. We had a fantastic conversation about everything from raising kids to climbing mountains to writing craft. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, have a listen! Writing Yourself Open
If you haven’t had a chance to meet the guys and gals from the Tactical Solutions International romantic suspense, the e-books are available for free with a Kindle Unlimited membership!
It’s my youngest child’s 17th birthday! Happy, happy birthday Kyra! We are so proud of you. And, she got her driver’s license today!
