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Quite honestly, I think James' question is very much on topic when discussing the ups and downs of living with an author (though I strongly suspect Paul's reply was made very much tongue-in-cheek).
I have known authors, for instance, who tell me they avoid using passionate love scenes for fear of jealousy on the part of their partners, who -- if the writing is as good as it should be -- might feel a torrid scene is written from experience rather than imagination.
It would be interesting to hear from those who share life with an author if this inhibiting fear of misunderstanding is at all justified.
Similar questions are often asked of those who live with actors who play out fictional romance on screen and songwriters whose titles are in praise or lament of a girl with a given name -- is the girl in the song an old flame that has never been extinguished?
In my case -- as an editor rather than author these days -- I have no problem with my own wife, Skovia. Apart from the fact that I think there are no secrets about our past lives, she realises when I'm recrafting a scene or romantic dialogue that it's a professional thing and that the experience I'm helping describe is inspired by the imagination of another rather than by direct personal experience.
On the more less specific theme of coping with general author temperament, again a partner must ask why his/her reaction is as it is, as well as defining the perceived difficulty itself.
This, I think, is one of those worm cans well worth opening.
Cheers. Neil
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