Can one know too much about a writer?

And by knowing too much, I'm not talking about all the things I reveal about how I spoil my dogs and the cats who live in my hedge. I suppose an author's politics can get in the way of a reader with differing views connecting with their books. Seems I remember a kerfluffle or two about an author posting her candidate's banners on her website. (And please don't hold Rick Perry against me just because I live in Texas.) I've also seen readers post that an author's online behavior will turn them off to reading his/her work. I've purposefully picked up an author's books because I've really enjoyed how they interact with others in cyberspace. And, yes, there are a couple of authors who I won't read because I've been turned off by things they've said or done, but in most of those cases I didn't like their books to begin with!

Most of the time, I have no trouble separating a personality from the product. What's weird, though, is as an author, knowing another author's process and having THAT impact how I feel about their work. I was reading a book not too long ago, and I hit a point that didn't ring true for me. It so happened that I'd heard this author talk about how she plotted, and I kept wondering if her admission was what was hanging me up. I could see her not knowing what was happening and writing on, intending to come back and smooth things over. And yet it never felt smooth to me as a reader. In fact, the book was almost a wallbanger.

All of that said, the purpose of this post is to let anyone who cares know I'm going to put my issues with my weight out there publicly but I'm going to do so in another blog. Anyone who's struggled with extra pounds knows the insidious nature of dealing with something so personal. But there's also something comforting in sharing our woes and knowing we're not alone. Kinda like when we struggle with anything in life. Even the writing. ;) So if you want to follow along, you can do that here: I Am Losing It.