Yes, some people get divorced and get rich. I would say the majority of the time that only happens on TV though.

The latest of our agreements, I go back to work when our third child starts school, unless I have a book set to publish, which just happens to be this August. Talk about pressure.

Anyway, I have never lived in NYC\SF\LA. I live twenty-two miles from any sort of civilization and when I go on vacation you can triple that number. I could not be happier. I can’t imagine having a neighbor who can see in my windows. Ick.

Right this minute, I have three finished novels. One is submitted to a publisher, one is in a competition, and one is with an agent.

Regarding the husband/wife bill payer thread, that is a hard one. My husband forced the fact years ago that we should pay cash for everything. In fact, we don’t even have a checking account. But, I generally pay the bills. Why? Because I buy the groceries. I know how much I need to get through the week and which bills I can pay to balance the situation. The thing is you have to throw that we pay cash for everything into account. We have two monthly bills, electric and phone. Our house and all of our cars are paid for. Granted, they are nothing special, but they accomplish the job they were built to perform. Heh, I’d be willing to bet my paid for 94 Lumina could take most of your cars in a race. :D If not, I’ve got something for it. ;)

I’ve been a freelance writer off and on since the mid 1980s, sometimes in San Francisco. I was lucky and managed to buy a place, and I wrote for the high tech industry in the 1980s, when they were happy to pay rates to people who understood the technology.

Incidentally, those rates haven’t gone up in twenty years. Sometimes they’ve gone down.

Anyway, in ten years, my house appreciated 2 1/2 times, I sold it, and moved to Idaho, where my mortgage is about what my San Francisco friends pay in property taxes.

I married — a bassist, as it happens — and he promptly *did not obey* your instructions, and took advantage of me, so now I’m single and he’s living with his mom.

Anyway, great stuff, especially your realistic look at marriage as a business relationship, which extends far beyond just people who are writers.

Does this explain anything about why there are more male writers doing it 100% of the time?

I’ve read that men take more risks (and die sooner!)

Peggy

I changed from painting large canvases and doing gallery shows to smaller works, drawing in portable sketchbooks, sneaking art on lunch breaks, working more online. By becoming a teacher, I was able to work on my art career on vacations and summer breaks.. I write on my laptop during appointments now. I changed around my family, my family didn’t change around me.

We all plan for a “normal” life, but things such as disabled children, taking care of our elderly parents, fires, disasters, getting fired from work or laid off, having your car totaled… those are things that can set you back a year.. sometimes more. You gotta prepare for those things too.