I’d like to thank you all for your support.


Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt.


Do your family and friends support your career as a writer?


To be honest, most of them can’t believe that I write anything at all.

Because of that, my family never really talks about it much. They see me retreat into that room and pound the keyboard, it must seem like I’m hiding, or running away from something.

People that know me, know that I never showed any inclination to write; until I moved to Devon and retired. And I don’t really see many of the people from the old days much. A few of my old colleagues buy my work, that’s about it. Amazon removes their reviews (cos they must be biased, right?).

I’ve tried to explain the compulsion, to anyone who’ll listen. The fact that all I’m doing is putting down in words what fills my head. All that achieves is a look that suggests they think that I’m getting old and going a bit strange.

Especially now, in lockdown, I’m glad that I have another set of worlds that I can escape to, if I get bored with the world of one, I can change it to another just by writing a different story.

I know that’s the same as escaping into a book that someone else has written, the thing is, as I’ve often said, my stories come to me fully formed and in real-time. There’s no plotting involved on my part. In effect, I’m getting the same experience as a reader, with the bonus that I’m creating as I go. Which means that other people can enjoy it, after I’ve finished with it.

What’s not to like about that?

Back to the subject. Maybe there’s a little of the old you’re not a proper writer (whatever one of them is?) because you’re Indie, in there. I haven’t helped myself in that respect, I’ve certainly told various people in the past that literary agents are not interested in my work. Devoid of any merit, one agent said. Learn to write, before you submit any more, was another’s opinion of my work.

As far as I know, none of my family has ever read any of my fiction. Sci-fi is not for them. That’s OK, I don’t like some of the stuff that they read.

I think it would be unreasonable of me to expect them to read or like it anyway, just because I wrote it. My wife enjoys these blog posts but can’t get on with the style I write fiction in.

I’m the same, there are some books that I’ve struggled with, yet I’ve enjoyed adaptations of them on T.V. or the big screen. It’s all so subjective and not worth getting too excited over (That’s a subject for a whole post).

My family let me get on with it, I know that my writing is supported and that’s all that matters.

I do make sure to tell them when I get a good review though.

Just so they know.


Let me know what you think about this week’s subject.

I’d love to get your comments, please leave them below. While you’re here, why not take a look around? There are some freebies and lots more content, about me, my writing and everything else that I do. You can join my newsletter for a free novella and more news by clicking this link.


Now see what the other blogs in this hop have to say by clicking below.

Check out the other great blogs here.


I’d love to get your comments, please leave them below. While you’re here, why not take a look around? There are some freebies and lots more content, about me, my writing and everything else that I do. You can join my newsletter for a free novella and more news by clicking this link.

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8 Responses

  1. Marjorie Mallon

    Much the same at my abode! Apart from my eldest daughter and I who share similar taste in books! Mind you my mum and dad do love everything I do but I reckon they are somewhat biased! Lol.

    • Richard Dee

      It doesn’t discourage me, one day I will write something they enjoy 🙂

  2. P.J. MacLayne

    The best support is when some unknown someone buys the first in my series and then goes back and buys the rest of the series. Helps keep me motivated.

    • Richard Dee

      That’s right, I still get a thrill every time I sell a book or get feedback. Knowing that someone I’ll never meet likes what I do is what keeps me going.

  3. phil huston

    All very true, save my life since 19 has been this way. The inconvenient bohemian. Imagine inviting your parents and your first set of in-laws and a few old teachers to a 21-year-old perform “space music” in quad, accompanied by ballet dancers shrouded in fog and projected psychedelic visuals. They ran away screaming. However for those who bought tickets and stayed? Thank you. Even the dude who puked several times from perceived motion sickness as strange sounds ran around the theater. Never subject your friends or family to your artistic endeavors, because you nor them don’t really want to know.

    • Richard Dee

      Sounds like my sort of thing, musically speaking. Think Pink Floyd and Tangerine Dream in the early 70s. I don’t need the approval of my friends and family, they give me the space to create and that’s all I can ask for. They are happy when I get a good review, angry when someone says it’s garbage. What more could I ask for?

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