Is your spouse or significant other an integral part of your writing career? Do they tolerate your writing habit? This week we are discussing the benefits of a supportive partner and how much they can help to reach your goals. Join us on the live show and share how your partner helps or hinders your writing. As always, click on selfpublishingroundtable.com at 7 PST/10 EST on Thursday.
Our special guest is John Read. Yes, Michelle Read’s other half and supportive partner. Bring your loaded questions because John is ready to take them on.
Good evening ladies and gentledudes!
Hello everyone!
I made it! I made it! Don’t start without me!
Booyah.
yay!
CCWall Whoo!
Michelle is putting her face on. It’s her Thursday face.
xgranville Wait, whose face was she wearing?! o_O
CateMorgan xgranville One of my favorite jokes. Glad I could set someone up for it haha
CCWall
xgranville Michelle and the Many Faced God
xgranville It’s what I do. >.>
Has anyone ever brought the point that the roundtable logo is square? it’s just something i think about all the time.
CCWall Square leg. Round hole. Somehow, it just works.
CCWall You. Just. Blew. My. Mind.
CateMorgan CCWall whose round hole?
CCWall Heh. So it’s gonna be one of THOSE podcasts. 🙂
GO BEARD!
CCWall I haven’t shaved my legs….does that count?! I feel so left out.
So does this mean you guys other faces for other days in your dresser drawer, and do you ever wear Sunday’s face on a Wednesday?
michelleread CCWall I haven’t shaved my legs either
CateMorgan We were poor and only had just the one face to wear and saved it for special occasions
CCWall Fight the tyranny of the razors!
CateMorgan I keep mine in little day-labeled receptacles like old people.
PerryConstantine CCWall I thought that said TRANNY! LOL
BOOOOOOOOO!!
I read the twilight books too Michelle. It’s okay. Most of us did it.
CCWall PerryConstantine New book title? Song title? Band name?
CCWall Heretics!
CCWall Yeah but we’re not supposed to admit it. Close the door when you take a dump, too, dammit!
CCWall I might – someday.
Probably not soon.
RChazzChute CCWall haha!
xgranville CCWall PerryConstantine yes to all three
CCWall Read the books that is – I’ll never admit it
CCWall Proud to say I have never read them. I did buy them for my sister, though. So unfortunately I did contribute in some small way.
xgranville CCWall Hey, you can often learn more about what NOT to do from the Bad and the Ugly as you can about what to do right from the Good.
CateMorgan xgranville CCWall That’s why people buy my books! LOL
CateMorgan xgranville CCWall That’s why I watch Sharknado 2.
CCWall xgranville PerryConstantine It’s a multimedia marketing opportunity. Triple threat!
PerryConstantine CCWall xgranville triple tranny threat
xgranville CCWall Which totally should have been called Electric Boogaloo,
PerryConstantine CCWall Hi Percival!!
michelleread PerryConstantine CCWall Hey! Made it this time!
michelleread PerryConstantine CCWall And now I know you beat children. I knew you were too nice.
GodDAMMIT xgranville! Who do you think you are, James Lipton?
CateMorgan xgranville Tonight I am.
The two years I took off were really hard on the family in some ways. The neighbors’ kids were all vacationing in exotic locales and I had an allowance of $60 a week. We went nowhere. Two years with nothing but writing and podcasting were the best two years of my life, but She Who Must Be Obeyed picked up a lot of slack.
Best of times, worst of times…
xgranville But you already know what my favorite curse word is.
Fooled you!
John are there somethings that Michelle writes about that you have a problem with or wish that she didn’t?
monsterjavaguns Right?!?! All my secrets.
Vaporizations on site? John has the best job ever.
PerryConstantine He’s not smoking pot with a vaporizer Perry! LOL
PerryConstantine Trust me, it’s a spectators sport.
Between the day job and writing, I couldn’t do this without my husband. He does most of the cooking and housework, provides tech support, and helps me articulate what works and doesn’t work for me in terms of storytelling by listening to me babble about movies and TV shows. He’s pretty danged fuh-mazing.
CCWall PerryConstantine I was imagining him going around with a laser gun. Doing that while smoking pot with a vaporizer would be even better.
Michelle, does John ever give you ideas for your stuff that he thinks is great and you’re not too thrilled about?
CCWall Yes
PerryConstantine CCWall Amazing
Another thought. I was often concerned that the kids felt deprived, but I landed on taking the gamble. It turned out to be a good example to the kids. They understand work, sacrifice, risk-taking and reward better than they would had they vacationed in the Caymans.
I’m so glad I got those two years to write and do little else. It gave me a head start I wouldn’t have had otherwise. (I write faster now than I did then so it balances out.) Gave me time to figure things out faster.
RChazzChute That’s great, Robert!
He also herds cats when needed. They are apparently even more annoying than nerfs.
MrJohnRead PerryConstantine CCWall I think this should be a new series. John Read: Pothead Vaporizor.
Has John had to rough up any of your hardcore fans?
CCWall Well……
Good advice for everyone…Don’t say masturbate!
CCWall Right?! I just figured…..
RChazzChute Yes yes yes
CateMorgan YES THEY ARE
CCWall But then what will I talk about?
what part of the admin or behind the scenes production stuff does John help out with?
My husband also gets more excited over my teeny-tiny royalty checks than I do. He can’t wait for me to open the envelope when it comes every quarter to see how I did.
Yeah, the roller coaster of emotion is pretty normal. What always helps me is reminding myself that writing means being able to work without pants or annoying co-workers.
Wade’s train
MrJohnRead
PerryConstantine Yes indeed!! So liberating. Plus who doesn’t love that awkward look when someone knocks on your door and you accidentally answer it with said “no pants” on.
CateMorgan I do that too, so exciting
CateMorgan MrJohnRead This is one of my favorite ones!!
michelleread PerryConstantine My girlfriend has had to remind me several times to put on pants when I answer the door.
CateMorgan Yes it’s validating, even if only a little!
michelleread CateMorgan We’re all VERY excited Whitey
CateMorgan My girlfriend does that, too. When I tell her I made $20 from my books, she got excited and I was the one who was like, “but it’s only $20.”
I love my Mom. NUFF SAID?!
PerryConstantine I know, I’m like “Oh, hey–gas money” and he’s all “WOO-HOO!!”
CateMorgan It’s because you said “gas”.
Fart humor is forever.
Re: publicity
I shout the names of my books out the window as I drive. Not sure how to track and measure the ROI, but the neighbors run inside when they see me, so there’s that.
RChazzChute I do that!!!!
RChazzChute Sounds like a win win situation!
RChazzChute i should try that while driving, my neighbors are getting irritated with me.
Lisbon…Patrick Jane…Givenchy cologne. BOOM!!
RChazzChute I do that all the time. Then someone reminds me that I live in a country where 95% of the population doesn’t speak English. I still think it’s a viable marketing strategy, though.
CCWall RChazzChute haha! I literally just told a neighbor I’ve lived next to for eight years. And he was like “cool!”
RChazzChute I do tell my students I’m a writer, though. Then they feel obligated to buy them. Shame sales are the best sales.
monsterjavaguns Ah, that would explain it.
PerryConstantine RChazzChute i need to get better at shaming people into buying my books.
MrJohnRead ERMEHGERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRSH. I’m wearing it now.
CCWall PerryConstantine RChazzChute You have to perfect the puppy dog stare and combine it with the Charlie Brown walk.
Man, that scheme fell apart!
I leave black star canyon bookmarks everywhere, even in airplanes. But i don’t make paperbacks. i just found a problem with my plan…
CCWall Damn, both our schemes fell apart!
Re: writing about family.
I’ve murdered several of them in my books (and even made myself the protagonist whodoneit.) MWAH-HA!-HA!-HA!
It’s a good thing they aren’t interested in our books michelleread.
CCWall I sell extra paperbacks to used bookshops. And friends intentionally left some copies in hostels when traveling.
RChazzChute michelleread I’ve people ask to be put in my books. I always tell them they won’t like what happens.
grown up stuff is for losers
CCWall CORRECT
CCWall Smells like business.
CCWall Don’t make me adult. I can’t adult. I don’t want to adult.
Adulting hurts my happy.
CCWall
RChazzChute michelleread Correct. I’ve done exactly that. And I HAVE had people ask to be put in my books, which I gladly do. But yeah – no one cares. It hurt at first, because I tried so hard to be interested in their lives and be proud of them. When they weren’t for me…..that was a bit of an ouch for a while. Then I got over it.
michelleread has perfected writing in the comment thread while staying with the flow of conversation. Suspicious there are two Michelles.
Meanwhile, I need minions. The kids aren’t old enough yet.
PerryConstantine CCWall i love that! I almost bought that shirt!
RChazzChute michelleread Right?
michelleread Got over it? GOT OVER IT? LIAR!
Trolling = motivation!
Morning
monsterjavaguns Right? I think I need a John Read, too.
What happens if Michelle isn’t good and do her words?
Carl Sinclair It gets the hose again.
xgranville Carl Sinclair Does she wake the dragon?
SO. MANY. PODCASTS. *explodes*
I was under the impression Mat Morris would be here and trolling 🙁
michelleread does the shaming work and get you to start writing?
Carl Sinclair So was I. Feels…strange…
Carl Sinclair xgranville Yes, and then she rides it
Some people fail anyway.
CateMorgan There should be a central list of podcasts that don’t suck.
MrJohnRead Carl Sinclair xgranville Boom. Drops mic.
monsterjavaguns CateMorgan There is.
Writing Excuses.
The end.
monsterjavaguns CateMorgan : )
SPRT 96 – Michelle is a spitter
Carl Sinclair Of eggs!
Correct.
As a long-time customer of crappy diners… spit in eggs doesn’t taste all that bad.
Carl Sinclair You fail at being Canadian. I win at that.
xgranville Carl Sinclair I’m a great Canadian, eh.
Ohai
I sometimes only write 5 or 10 words a week. However, because those words are so good, I still win.
Great show tonight guys! Gotta make dinner. 🙂 and not spit in it.
Michelle’s worry ulcers are a secondary motivator.
CCWall The struggle is real.
monsterjavaguns You have no idea
Jurassic World is already open here…
Is it true what they say about arkansas John?
I’m told it’s pretty good.
BatmanErica A friend of mine went to the premiere and said it was awesome.
Of course it would be fine if Sam was in it. He’s a New Zealander. That makes everything better.
Carl Sinclair That it makes Carl fuck his sister?
SPRT Invasion of New Zealand!
Carl Sinclair iunno that tv show he did with Oscar Kightly wasn’t great. But the one he was in for Alcatraz was great, except for the leading lady. She sucked.
MrJohnRead Carl Sinclair Your mum’s here with me. She just said that is not nice language.
Carl Sinclair MrJohnRead It’s true
Only the males are poisonous, right? Barbs on their back legs?
MrJohnRead Carl Sinclair Was gonna say that Bill Clinton has a Library there and if so, have you visited it yet?
BatmanErica Something like that yeah
My theme tune – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJuXKeiM4_0
Carl Sinclair MrJohnRead No, no I have not
MrJohnRead Carl Sinclair You should probably get on that.
Hey folks, AFTERPARTY! https://plus.google.com/hangouts/_/hoaevent/AP36tYct29ytzdYLYeGuvvO892Eh1rm5FxNSWXTX1v_aAHHun–ztQ
Carl Sinclair MrJohnRead That’s what she said
JamesEThoenes CateMorgan And everyone had to take turns wearing the face
MrJohnRead JamesEThoenes CateMorgan Gotta love the Thursday face.
MrJohnRead JamesEThoenes CateMorgan It was awful when you had the face and someone else was embarrassed. Always made me turn red.
JamesEThoenes MrJohnRead CateMorgan I love when my AC turns off and I start sweating and turning red…..