Novel Ideas
Rhino hide
Writers’ nearests and dearests need to be tough, says Lynne Hackles
Writers need a thick skin for when those rejections turn up, but sometimes friends, family and partners of writers need thick skins too.
The LSO (Long Suffering One) used to warn visitors to be careful what they said in case I used it in a story. He was right. Everything was grist to my mill. It’s got me into trouble on more than one occasion. For instance, my aunt got really upset when I based a story on her. Notice the word ‘based’. The story was about how she and my mother were having races to see who could get up the stairs the quickest, Auntie sitting on her stairlift or Mom taking the steps two at a time. When the grandchildren arrived and asked for a go on the lift they were told, ‘It’s not for playing on.’ I knew the editor liked nasty old women so changed my aunt’s personality for the story. Auntie needed a thicker skin. I didn’t get a Christmas card that year.