Analyze this
I have a great relationship with my shrink’s assistant. Donna is the one I call to make appointments and she’s also the one who calls randomly to check on me and just talk when she knows I’m in a bad patch. She’s single-handedly talked me down out of a panic attack when the doctor was tied up in a long session, and on every other occasion has made sure I talked to him on 10 minutes notice. I feel like she knows me and cares about me. That’s rare in any profession, specially one in which someone is being paid to be nice to me.
So last month when I called to make my appointment, I mentioned that I’d made an out of town trip all by myself to attend a writers conference and had managed mostly ok. When she asked what I wrote, I said historical romance. She squealed, “I love historical romance! It’s all I read!” Then (gulp) she asked if she could read my latest, and I agreed without thinking about it.
Today she called to remind me of my appointment tomorrow and prompted me that I’d agreed to give my novel to the shrink for him to deliver to her at the other office.
Now, bear in mind that I wrote this novel unmedicated and played out all my insecurities in it. Only one trusted friend has read the entire thing. (Ok, so several agents have, but since they rejected it, they don’t count. That’s just business.) Now I’ve got to hand it over to someone very close to my shrink. Argh.
Will she like it? Will she hate it? Worst of all, will she see too much of me in it and tell my shrink? It’s easier to walk naked in front of strangers than in front of people who’ve seen me at my worst.
I promised, so I’ll do it. But it’s not going to be easy.
April 24th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
I think this is great Terry… Good job…
April 24th, 2006 at 6:16 pm
Shalom Terry,
She’ll laugh, she’ll cry, she’ll want to wring his neck for being such a thick-headed dolt. But most importantly, she’ll fall in love with characters that won’t let her go.
B’shalom,
Jeff
April 24th, 2006 at 7:02 pm
Thanks so much, Cynthia and Jeff. I’ve gotten out of the habit of sending my “babies” out there for review, and I need to build up my toughness again if they’re ever going to do anything but gather dust on my shelf. Maybe doing this will give me the courage to get back to work on the one I should have finished a year ago.
April 25th, 2006 at 4:10 am
Great, Terry! You are doing a courageous thing, and one worthy of honor: you are taking a risk.
We never know whose lives we are going to touch with our writing. Kudos for stepping up to the bat and being willing to take a swing!
I know how tough it is to share writing. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
Good on ya!
April 25th, 2006 at 8:04 am
Thanks, Shamash.
It’s a big step for me.
April 25th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Terry, let me add my encouragement and my praise. I know you are a great writer so I know Donna will love the book but I also know this is a very, very brave step for you. You go!
April 25th, 2006 at 5:52 pm
Thanks for the kind words, Sherry. Yup, it was hard, but I handed it over this afternoon. In return, the doc gave me good drugs.
April 25th, 2006 at 7:51 pm
What (everyone else) said! She’ll love it.
Melinda
April 26th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
Thanks, Melinda.
Now the waiting begins ….