Where is Man-At-Arms?

Today is another of those “writery” blog posts, but only just. I think it applies to all of us who do something creative but have to work a day job to pay the bills (for now, anyway). It’s about the people without whom we could not do anything — our Lancers.

A Lancer, back in the Olden Times (which is one of the distinct historical periods, along with Colonial Times and Days of Yore) was someone who had all the skills, training, and prowess of a knight without being a member of the “noble” class. Basically, it was a knight by another name — someone who could have done the knight’s job as well or better, but one who stood as the knight’s backup, his right-hand man. His man-at-arms, or Lancer.

I have a few Lancers in my life, but the most important one is my wife Lisa. She’s just as talented as me (probably moreso), and yet has been an unending font of support when I said “hrm. I think I’m going to take on another full time job, writing, where I won’t get paid at all and I’ll be generally insufferable. You cool with that?”

Thing is, she was. She always listens to me ramble on about plotlines, characters, and stupid documentaries I’ve watched in the guise of “research.” She’s always the one to encourage me when I’m down, to make me remember why I write in the first place. Without her, I doubt I’d ever really do any work at all.

So how about you, folks? Who is your Lancer?