Cheerleaders

Our families are understandably excited about the arrival of the baby. Her grandparents, great uncles, great aunts, uncles and aunts ask after her regularly. There is little to tell them except for the direction and force of her kicks or squirms, but their interest seems only natural to us as her parents. Even her little cousins are somewhat aware of her impending arrival and Percy was suggested by one of them as an appropriate name by the other day.

Almost two thousand babies are born in the UK each day, but to our families and friends this baby will be special. The generously loaned (and happily offloaded) baby clothes and equipment are a small part of the support that they are to us. At the simplest level, their interest in our baby and their desire for her to be healthy and happy is a great encouragement to us.

Cheerleaders are similarly necessary for books. Each year hundreds of thousands of new books are published in the UK. My manuscripts are yet to even reach that stage. If and when they do, they will be one of thousands of others. Just as with our baby, the support and encouragement of my family and friends, partial though they might be, is incredibly important to me.

Some of the support they give is very practical. It would be one thing for my heroic husband to work to support me while I’m at home looking after our baby. It’s quite another for him to work to support me while I’m at home writing a book. If either Wild Rose or A Good Death is published, a good measure of that achievement will be his for giving me the time and mental energy to work on them.

Other support they give is motivational. My family and friends’ excitement and congratulations at each stage of the process so far has spurred me on. Though I may have moments of doubt about the future of my manuscripts, they are ever hopeful. When they read my manuscripts, their enjoyment of my writing, though it might be biased, gives me confidence as I write.  

I have written before of the value of an expert opinion. A professional opinion is ultimately of the most financial value. However, the excitement and appreciation of family and friends is invaluable.