An author compares the experience of writing a book to birthing a child—painful, thankless, but ultimately rewarding. At a party with other novelists, the author felt out of place, mostly listening as the conversation turned to a fellow writer who couldn’t attend due to her sick child and a canceled babysitter. The author could relate to the challenges of balancing parenthood and writing. When the host remarked that it’s hard to be friends with parents because they are “flaky,” the author sheepishly admitted to being a parent herself.
