How I Survived My Husband's Writing by Ed & Marian Zaruk (best detective novels of all time txt) 📕

In his third novel, Altar and Throne, he burnt down a house with three little Native children in it. I was devastated. "You can't do that to them! That has to go." Those were my exact words.

"No, this really happens," were his. As much as it still bothers me to read the passage, that event needed to be included and was pivotal to the development of the story. Recently, while on vacation in Hawaii, we read this novel out loud to each other at the beach, checking for word flow. When it came to this chapter, and was my turn, I couldn’t read it. Even my husband had a hard time getting through it. Over the years I have come to learn that the work is the most important thing, all else is subservient to it, our personal feelings included.

This is where tact comes in. Tact has been described as the ability to deal with other people without causing needless offence. My husband has a coarse saying – “You can tell a woman she is as ugly as sin, if you just use enough tact.” He’s never tried it on me, so I don't know if it works, but I have seen it smooth over the difficult times when words and feelings get sharp. Tact involves knowing when and how to say things. As writers and editors, we are constantly aware of words. We will agonize over a phrase, or even a single word to get it right, yet use un-edited speech with one another that can cut and hurt. The use of tactful words, I believe, is the basis for a warm relationship between you, the editor, and your partner, the writer.

Over the years, I’ve met and listened to many authors read their work. Some are well-known, Wally Lamb, Elizabeth Berg, and Sue Miller, are a few that come to mind. Others were attendees at writers conferences we’ve attended. All have my admiration for one thing; they write from the heart, then are willing to bare their soul by sharing that most precious gift with us. We applaud authors at public readings; should we not do the same for our mate in the privacy of our own homes? Authors can be needy people and commendation fills that space, making it easier to accept suggestions and criticism of their work.


CHAPTER FOUR

I was fortunate to grow up before the age of television. Home entertainment in the evenings was provided by books. Like most young girls of my age, I read Nancy Drew under the covers with a flashlight. I don't use a flashlight nowadays, but I do enjoy finishing the day by reading in bed. Things haven’t changed much. I once peeked in on my eight-year old granddaughter after bedtime. There she was, sitting up in bed, flashlight in hand, reading one of her Geronimo Stilton books.

Both my husband and I grew up with books and magazines a constant feature of the family home, and very early in our married life discovered our mutual love of reading. Bedtime stories and reading together with our children gave us the satisfaction of seeing them enter school knowing how to read. I have seen television erode this away, but have come to believe that the two can co-exist. Our two granddaughters have shelves of books and a big screen TV but are read to every night. When I visit, they want me to read to them. In my opinion, it is the greatest gift a parent can give. Still, I wondered if the world would open to them through books.

On a recent visit, my husband suggested we take them to the bookstore. They were so excited. When we walked in, they headed directly for the children’s section. The five-year old was keeping my husband occupied, and I found myself with the older one in front of a shelf of books when she turned to me, and said, “Grandma, I like hardcover books.” At that moment, I knew the next generation in our family would be life-long readers.

Our first television was a small twelve-inch, black and white set that we used well into the colour era. Reading a book was a lot more entertaining in those years, and read we did. Wednesday evening was library night. Occasionally, a real gem would come home. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach was just such a book. One of our sons loved it and wrote a book report based on a philosophical viewpoint. His English teacher soaked it up. The other son couldn’t see what the big deal was about a seagull. The lesson here, everyone will view your work differently, including agents and editors.

Growing up during the Cold War, we had an ever-expanding supply of spy novels that taught us pacing and plot. Community reading of these thrillers lead to the inevitable losing of each other’s place when the bookmarker fell out. It became a common occurrence when we discovered the author, James Michener. A walk along the beach without seeing a Michener book being read was a rare day. The waiting list at the library was so long we went out and bought our own hardcover copies.

I've tried to understand why his books were well-accepted since history is usually a subject people shy away from. Dry history is just that, long on facts and events, short on emotion. Michener brought it to life with characters and a story. If you're going to edit your partner's books (and he’s supplying just enough facts for the reader to hang their imagination on,) I’d suggest you read at least one of Michener's novels.

The true source of character development for writers, though, is women’s fiction. My husband had never read them, that would come later. Authors, Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher, have a way of capturing you through place and character, and I was able to immerse myself in relationships developed through dialogue. These books taught me the value of dialogue.

My husband still has his moments with love and romance. He has two novels in progress that we are working on, and in both the relationships are different and demanding. Getting it right is a blend of voice, story, and the author’s view of the world. I would not want to change any of the three; my views are not always his views. Editing is very much a blending of personalities and feelings. My advice is to respect the individuality of your partner, yet allow them to influence you. In this way, writer and editor will complement each other to the enhancement of the work. Write from the heart. Write for your friends. Write for self-fulfillment. Edit for the same reasons. Passion is a much greater motivator than money.

Over the years, writing and editing have added an intimacy to our lives we might never have had. How else, I asked myself, could I read his novels through dozens of times? We’ve agonized over rejection letters and tried to read their hidden message. There are nights my husband is frustrated because he has to spend time running his business when I know he’d rather be writing. During those rare moments, I offer silent support. Along the way, I’ve seen his voice strengthen, his novels fill hundreds of pages, and sharing the written word bring us closer together.

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Publication Date: 07-08-2009

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