Monday, June 2, 2014

All Writers Depend on their Partners

I was going to write about something else.  Heck, I wrote it, and was about to hit "publish", and then some brilliant stupidity appeared that could not be ignored:

Female Authors Depend on their Husbands to Write Romance

How moronic is this article?  Wait, don't answer, I'm going to tell you.  It's incredibly stupid and insulting, on several levels, but I'm going to focus on two.

One: The idea that women are alone in getting writing done because their husbands support them.  Did I fall asleep and wake up in Mad Men or something? Are only men capable of having a "supporting" job?  What about all the men who also write books?  How does that work in Michael Kozlowski's theory?  Or does it not count because they don't write romance?

Two: The idea that these women are "playing" at writing.  Because they're bored housewives with nothing better to do, or something?  WHAT THE COSMIC FUCK IS THAT?  Nobody writes books because they are "playing", and certainly because there's nothing better to do.  

So let's make a few things clear about my life, all right?  I've got two books coming out with DAW next year, a thing I've mentioned a time or two, and do you know why that's possible?  Entirely, 100%, purely and absolutely because my wife has been there supporting us.  We run a business together*, but she is the front-and-center part of that business.  It could not exist without her.  We would not succeed without her.  And without her doing that, I couldn't have written the books I sold.  Pure and simple.

And playing at writing?  Oh, dear lord.  Again, I've got my wife supporting us.  I don't have to clock in anywhere form 8 to 5.  But despite that, I still have to carve out time for writing.  I have to make an active point of it.  It's not something that just "happens" because I'm bored, and to suggest that it is the case for ANYONE who is striving to make a living doing this is not only insulting, but insipid.  Especially since Mr. Kozlowski would probably never dare to do such a thing to a male writer.


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* Live the Language, Spanish Immersion for Children and adults.


4 comments:

Don Bisdorf said...

The URL name for that article link is even worse than the actual article name. One wonders if the author is sincere or is just trying to generate clicks and traffic (and which is worse).

Siobhan Muir said...

As one of those women who "take advantage of her husband to write romance", I suspect he's thinking men are victims here, that women are just trying to mooch off their "hard work and effort". Apparently he still is of the mind that writing is not "a real job". I work my butt off and romance is merely a happy ending, not necessarily a smarmy story with no real conflict. There is no "throbbing manhood" in my books, but there is conflict, adventure, and connection, which men tend to like. Most women writers have "Evil Day Jobs" which means they're writing ON TOP of other responsibilities and are hoping that writing pays off so they can still make the income they need to HELP their husbands (if they have one) with the monthly expenses. Kozlowski must think writers just sit around and stare out a window if he thinks writers (male or female) do nothing all day. What world does he live in? Most of us still work for a living, including the writing. This guy must really hate women.

USNessie said...

I was particularly inspired by the comment you put on the link to this post.

"But, hey, it's easy to lob insults at women writers that would never be thrown at men."

Very very true. My husband is the main wage earner in the family, but I take care of the kids (one with special needs) and I teach part time. Writing is my job. It's not a hobby that I fit in where I can, even though it does often take a back seat to the family's needs.

Tarah Scott said...

Well said, Marshall.