Happy Valentine’s Day.by dear hubby..

It was fifteen years and three days ago that I first met the woman I’m fortunate to call my wife, my Farmgal.  Appropriately enough, the first three weeks of our courtship was exclusively via e-mail, and even after we started talking on the phone, we flipped notes, letters and essays to each other up to several times a day.  There’s a three-inch binder full of the hard-copies in our bookshelf.

Over time, I got involved in online role-playing and started doing some writing in support of the games.  Farmgal sometimes read these things, thought they were generally well done, and asked if I wanted to take up writing on a more serious basis.  I waffled on this; wasn’t sure I had the time, wasn’t sure I had the skill, wasn’t sure I had the self-confidence.  I certainly didn’t do any more serious writing.

Until five years ago, that is, when she finally had enough and, in her words, “kicked my ass”.  She told me she thought I could write well, that I could be published.  But I had to get it together and actually do it.  If time was an issue, she’d help me find some each day.  If skills were lacking, she’d help me finding learning opportunities.  Naturally, she was happy to read and comment upon anything I produced.

So I started writing actual stories.  Posted them on a couple of discussion boards and got some generally positive feedback.  But I wasn’t submittng anything for publication.

Hence, two years ago, the application of another boot to my butt.  A friend let Farmgal know of a writer’s workshop taking place on a Saturday, and she encouraged me to go.  Committed to taking care of all the farm stuff I wouldn’t be doing if I went.  It was an informative workshop, and one that led me to my current critiquing group, too.

The following summer, we caught wind of the Masked Mosaic anthology and the notion of Lonesome Charlie the reluctant supervillain came along.  I started writing the story, got bogged down.  Farmgal asked me how I was doing with it, offered suggestions, read the drafts, and generally poked and prodded me until I’d finished the thing – tacking on her family name, Johnstone, to the character’s name and the story title in the process.

Man, she was so happy when when the story got picked up for the anthology – and beaming when we had the book launch at the Comic Shoppe last February.  She helped me keep calm-ish before the reading, took video of me doing my reading, and then arranged a delightful get-together with some of the other contributors and fellow local writers afterward.

She even pushed me to start the blog, recognizing that it’d be an opportunity to share my thoughts, to advertise my work, and to interact with you folks – fellow readers and writers.

It’s pretty fair to say I wouldn’t be an author, let alone a published one, without Farmgal – so here’s to you, my dear, with my humblest appreciation for that kick to my ass five years ago and all the support since then!

And if you, the reader, are also lucky enough to have a supportive spouse, partner, or special friend in your life, encouraging you in whatever endeavours you undertake, then here’s to them, too.  Happy Valentine’s Day!