Throughout history, failures or setbacks have often led creative people to discover something greater or better than the original plan. At the very least, valuable lessons were learned. Friday fudge is about creatives persevering past the obstacles, and finding delicious rewards for their tenacity and effort that they could never have imagined or hoped for in the first place.
He was just polishing off his third Miller High Life Tall Boy of the day. Taking a last slurpy sip, he turned his head to check the time on the clock radio on a shelf on the paneled wall above the dryer.
It was 3:10 p.m and the crescendo of Free Bird by Lynard Skynyrd crackled through the tiny black speaker.
If he didn’t get a move on, he’d be late to teach his creative writing class at the local college. Letting out a loud belch, he crushed the beer can on his left knee, spilling a few remaining drops on his brown corduroy trousers.
“Ah, shit,” he exclaimed and stood up rather steadily considering the amount he had already consumed.
He pulled back his arm in an exaggerated arc,leaned back on one foot imitating a pro baseball pitcher, and hurled the crushed can into the open wastebasket by his desk.
“Strrrrrrike!” he hissed as he lifted his leather book bag by its strap off the back of a wooden chair, and fished in his corduroy jacket pockets for his car keys.
A moment later he was jostling them in his palm like a pair of dice at a craps table and exited the laundry room of the double-wide trailer, slamming the thin metal door closed with a jab of his elbow.
She was sitting outside reading on a plaid blanket in the spring sunshine with a sleeping baby and toddler beside her.
He didn’t notice how tired she looked for such a young bride.
“Honey, I’m on my way to school!” he said, waving the book bag in her general direction before he got into the clunky Buick with the bad transmission and drove away.
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This is the vignette I envisioned of Stephen and Tabitha King’s life their first few years together, after reading Stephen King’s brilliant memoir, On Writing.
As I was taking in some of the details about their humble circumstances in the early 1970s, it moved me to read how King recognized and deeply appreciated his wife’s unwavering support (and he still must after weathering 42 years together) :
For me writing has always been best when it’s intimate, as sexy as skin on skin. With Carrie, I felt as if I were wearing a rubber wet-suit I couldn’t pull off..Tabby had the pages. She’d spied them while emptying my wastebasket, had shaken the cigarette ashes off the crumpled balls of paper, smoothed them out, and sat down to read them…”You’ve got something here,” she said. “I really think you do.”
I couldn’t help asking myself, What if Tabitha King had not discovered the three crumpled up written pages in the wastebasket? What if she had simply dumped the contents into a garbage bag and disposed of it along with the household refuge collection for the week?
Would Stephen King still have achieved publishing and commercial success as soon as he did – still be the prolific and hugely successful writer he is to this day – had he tried to sell one of the other two manuscripts he had in his filing cabinet instead?
We’ll never know that answer. The author trusted his wife and best friend (and fellow novelist) enough to persevere through the doubt and feelings of failure and uncertainty, and worked diligently to get that work finished and sent out.
Carrie was published by Doubleday in 1974, became a commercial hit with a movie adaptation, and the fateful climb to fame and fortune for horror-writing master Stephen King was set in motion.
Would Stephen King have become the popular fiction superstar he is today if his wife hadn’t steered him, motivated him so stalwartly? He admits himself he probably wouldn’t have gotten very far in his writing career had it not been for his wife’s relentless support:
My wife made a crucial difference during those two years I spent teaching at Hampden. If she had suggested that the time I spent writing stories…was wasted time, I think a lot of the heart would have gone out of me. Tabby never voiced a single doubt, however. Her support was a constant, one of the few good things I could take as a given. And whenever I see a first novel dedicated to a wife (or husband) I smile and think: There’s someone who knows.
The encouragement from a trusted loved one, be it your spouse, your friend, a relative or your pet seems essential for the artist to help them soldier on despite battling the demons of self-doubt and self-sabotage. Another pair of caring eyes and ears can let you know your work is worth finishing and sending out into the world when you are unsure and faltering.
How about you? Do you have a trusted encourager who has made all the difference as you progress in your creative life? Please feel free to share in the Comments.
I’ve actually always wondered about Tabitha King. She’s a novelist in her own right, always overshadowed by Stephen’s work, of course. What must that be like? I imagine that others have thought, as I have, that she’s only gotten published because of her famous husband. (I’m not particularly proud of this thought, but there it is.) I suppose I should just read some of her work and find out for myself.
I’ve had a lot of encouragement along the way, the most consistent coming from other writers, who get what I’m going through. I treasure my friendships with other writers, both online and offline.
And now I’m craving ice cream, as I do whenever I read one of your Friday Fudges!
Charlotte Rains Dixon recently posted..Book Review: You Have No Idea
I have actually thought the same as you about Tabitha King, Charlotte. Who knows if she would have successfully published without being Mrs. Stephen King. Here’s a quote from her, dealing with that question from journalists: “I put 10 years into helping his career,” she reasons, “so if his name helps me with mine, I think it’s legitimate.” Fair enough, I guess
You made me smile by mentioning your craving for ice cream. The place in town where I got the fudge for the photo for the banner also sell…ice cream (go figure lol). It’s a ‘going concern’ there during the summer, lemme tell ya!
My first supporter was my English teacher at age 13, Diane Thomas (this was back in Australia). She recognized a writer in the making from the way I enthusiastically attacked the first creative writing assignment she set us, and from how much I wrote (it unleashed me).
My father was an early supporter, out of fatherly pride. He even invited Miss Thomas to our house to talk about my abilities. (I was embarrassed. :~)
My mother was a supporter, doing many generous things to help me try to become a work-at-home mom so I’d have time to write.
Brian! He has only read two things I’ve ever written (which I used to take personally, but now I realize it’s just not his cup of tea), but he supports me and my writing in so many other ways. From cooking dinner during the 10K day to making sure I get to go on a writing retreat.
I loved the way you took us inside the mind of King back in his early days. I could read an entire novel written the way you did in the vignette where King was “the character.” I wanted more!
Milli, it always warms my heart to hear how a teacher inspires a child, and so glad Ms. Thomas recognized the talented writer you are and nurtured your gift at such a young age. Also touching to hear about your Dad’s unabashed pride and that your Mom was a good supporter too.
Yay for Brian taking over the cooking on those long 10k writing days you lead/participate in over at your Fear of Writing site, and for the countless ways he completely supports you as an artist and your writing business.
My Michael is basically the first person to consistently encourage me to pursue my creative endeavors. He genuinely believes in me and just like Tabitha King, his support and reassurance over the last few years has made all the difference as I try and re-establish, and go forward with, the creative career I left in my early 20s.
Thank you so much for your enthusiastic feedback; glad I provoked that ‘wanting more’ with my writing. I think that must be one of the best results a writer could ask for when people read her work. The fact that it’s actually fun to write is added incentive to do more and more
I really enjoyed this, Carole! When I was growing up and learning that I wanted to be a writer, Stephen King was (and still is!) one of my heroes. You know a little bit about my story and how it has taken me a while to get completely immersed into writing due to lack of support from some of my family.
One of the biggest supporters I have is my best friend, Lisa. We have known each other since the sixth grade and her support of my creative endeavors has been unwavering. When everyone else told me I was wasting my time, she told me to keep on keeping on. I am incredibly grateful that she pushed me.
I have also met new friends through social media (such as yourself!) that are very supportive. While it’s important to have that inner strength to pursue our literary dreams, it is a tremendous gift to have others that support us when we lose our way.
Thank you so much for this post!! I enjoyed reading it!
Hugs!
Valeka
Valeka recently posted..Running On Heavy’s First Blogiversary!!!
Hi Valeka!
So glad to know you got something from this post; really nice to see you here too!
So nice to hear about your friend, Lisa, for her unfailing support since sixth grade – wow! I’m grateful to her for encouraging you on to be the writer you knew you wanted to be. Having a lifelong relationship like that is a precious gift indeed, for both of you
I can relate to not getting much support growing up to follow your creative dreams, but I’m so encouraged how you have persevered through the obstacles and honoured your creative calling – you’re really moving forward in achieving your writing dreams in a big way! It’s a privilege to get to know you too and inspiring to see how we can all support one another in the online community of creatives