Thankful for Our Unsung Heroes

In 2002, my husband became a widower. How, do you ask? After all, I’m clearly not dead… this is not some posthumous ghost-written blog! 

Every November  I embark on the same writing journey you guys do. Some years I win, some years I don’t.

Every year, though, I leave someone behind. Someone very important to me. And he’s not alone. All over the world, languish the unsung heroes of NaNoWriMo. The supportive spouses. The significant others. The children. The mothers. The fathers. 

This Thanksgiving, I’ll be grateful for the many NaNo-Widowers. 

Mine married me—but only a few months into our marriage, I discovered my other love. NaNoWriMo. 

He’s been competing for my attention every November since, mostly losing the battle. This year marks the tenth year he’s been a NaNoWriMo Widower. His 11th NaNoWriMo. I’d say he’s one of the longest-running NaNo-Widowers, and he even has the certificate to prove it, courtesy of our incredible local ML. 

Why does he tolerate my yearly deep-dive into murky literary waters?

He knows that NaNoWriMo is my passion, my hobby, my job. He has it worse than most Wrimos, you see. Instead of 30 days of literary abandon… he deals with it nearly 365. I spend hours of my time on the forums, moderating, to the point that there are those who believe I use black magic, or even clones to do my job. 

The reality is, I’m afraid, that there is no superpower. No magic. No secret OLL technology. What there is is a man who feeds my children, answers the phone, cleans my house, and occasionally shoves a sandwich in my hand to remind me that I need to eat. He does so without complaining. Much.

He’s not the only one, either. So many novels are written not just because of all your writer-ly brilliance, but because of the undying patience and support of a significant other who is sometimes neglected in favor of word wars, late-night bursts of brilliance, and write-ins.  No man is an island, and no writer writes alone. 

So today, I want you to remember those who are supporting you in your noveling madness this November. Know that they embrace your yearly creative flurry because they love you. They want you to be happy. Don’t forget to nurture this invaluable resource. I’ve made it a tradition to present my husband with a new, addicting video game each year. And this year, he’s taking on his own 30-day challenge: To take a Rift character from level 1 to 50 in 30 days while I slog through the busiest month of my year. 

And this NaNoWriMo, I have a new resolution: To make time, every single day, to be thankful for my incredible husband and partner, and to remind him how I could never do what I do without him. 

So I want to hear your stories. Who is behind you, and your novels? Tell me about your NaNo support team!