Quick note: Can you believe I've blogged for 25 days straight! I'm nuts! I'll also be glad for a break, but NaBloWriMo has been a blast!! Well I am looking to finish it strong!
You decide you want to be a writer.
You tell the world. (hypothetically)
Everyone asks what you've written.
You realize you've written nothing.
So you write something.
You tell the world AGAIN. (obvs you haven't learned your lesson yet)
Once asked what you've written you have an answer.
A novel.
What's it called they ask next.
You hadn't thought of a title so you don't respond. (don't be rude and walk away talk about the weather)
You think of a title.
You tell the world AGAIN. (because you're an idiot)
Once you tell them you've written a novel and the title they ask another question.
Do you make J.K. Rowling wages? What's it like being famous?
Then you realize, they think being a writer means you have to be published.
Some moments are sweet, and some moments are sour. It's sort of like a sour patch kids. Little. Bastards. Had any of these moments lately?
61 comments:
LOLOLOL "Little. Bastards." heheh you crack me up! No none of those moments lately but I have had them and they've made me want to throw a few little bastards in their faces that's for sure! ;o)
You've got to stop telling people you're a writer - that's never a good thing. :) Happy Monday, Jen!
I love this. So true. Thanks for making my day.
Its never good to tell people...It always creates some type of conversation of what, when and how...Its never good..hahaha
Happy Monday,sweetie pie
Hope you had a relaxing weekend
Thanks for all the posts this month! It's so nice to wake up to :-)
I can totally relate to this...my biggest problem is when someone says 'what's your book about?' and I just stare and stutter and feel defeated because...um what is my book about?! I need to work on my elevator pitch!
Love this! I've had so many moments lately that I could scream. Thanks for the awesome post!
So true. That's why writers must stick together. LOL
So impressed you've blogged for 25 days straight. Whoa...
I'm experiencing some sour right now: waiting on a publisher. I can't take it any longer! :)
PS. Did you read Kristan Higgins yet? Give "Too Good to Be True" a try. I really enjoyed that one.
25 days straight. You are a blogging hero!
Oh yes, I've had a lot of moments like this. LOTS! At least writer friends understand. :)
Lol I get these moments too many times to count.
I really have to learn when to shut my mouth.
;-P
I've had those share of moments myself and you describe them perfectly. Way to go on the 25 days straight!
LOL. I have then quite often!
Lucky for me I have been holed up in the house all month so I dont have to talk to people.
I too am waiting for an editor but am not sour yet, time is frozen in my mind as long as she gives me good news we will be fine
How about this. I run into my HS crush at the Supermarket, with his perky little wife and adorable kids. He asks what I'm doing and I don't want to admit that I have a soul sucking day job, so I say, "I'm a writer."
he says: "Oh really, what have you written?".
I'm realizing how this is going to sound but what the heck "Um, Zombie Rabbit".
He/wife/kids all get that smile that just involves the corners of the mouth. "Good luck with that, see you 'round" They bolt.
Every. Day.
The Man loooooves giving me crap about my writing. When I mentioned Alex's book coming out, he said "Oh, that's pretty cool...now how long did it take him to write that?" The term shoot daggers from the eyes came true right then.
Yup, I go through this all the time. My own husband tells me he won't read my book until it's done. When I mention it IS done, he clarifies by saying it's not done until it's published. Gee. Thanks.
I hate those conversations and try to avoid them like the plague. Good job on the 25 days - I know you'll finish strong :)
I'm cautious about who I tell simply because people assume if I'm a writer I must have a book published. They seem so let down when I tell them I don't have book published but I have had several articles and stories published for children. At which point I can almost here them thinking..."Oh, not a real writer then."
The question I always hate is: Do I know your book?
I'm always tempted to say, "Probably. It has sparkly vampires in it. Does that ring a bell?" ;)
"Sour patch kids." Love it! I read a post recently where a poet lies. telling people they write novels. It's hard not to justify writing in our society's that seems to honour the corporate ladder more.
Oh the fun intricacies of the writing craft! I've been there, it's sometimes a tricky path to maneuver, explaining our lives away.
Yes, when will I learn to stop telling the world? ;) Thanks for visiting my blog and for your sweet comments. I love getting to know you!
http://ashleyanderic.blogspot.com
Love it. The worst thing about being an unpublished writer is having to tell people what you do. I usually slump down at least three inches at the very question.
Great post!
I never told anyone I wrote until I got published. Then some were excited and others *meh*
I think most people already know I'm crazy so it isn't too much of a stretch for them.... :O)
This is hilarious! And sooooooooo true! Every time someone even asks "How's your writing coming?" I cringe. It's mine! Mine! When it's published, you'll know. But then, why did I tell them in the first place? Doh!
Michele
SouthernCityMysteries
Urgh, always an awkward conversation. Being a writer is definitely made of sweet and sour moments :) And I hate those commercials for Sour Patch Kids...
Forger about the sour patch kids. Drink wine. Or vodka. Man, I really am a bad influence. I better go...
Way to finish that one strong hun! I was smiling and nodding the whole time and then I burst into laughter.
So far, the only people who really know are my family (who are crazy amazing) and my close friends (who are encouraging but we tend to NOT talk overtly much about it) and my blogging friends (who are crazy amazing and understand!!!).
I've avoided these situations for the most part - except once with an ex-boyfriend a year ago but you see where that got him.....
I know it'll get to a point where I can't and I dread it.
Even being published doesn't help sometimes!
Bastards!
Sour Patch Kids always make me laugh because the first time I gave them to my toddler sons, my hubby and I about busted a gut laughing. Oh man. The joys of parenthood torture. ;)
But the writing thing? Yeah. It's just like that!
bahahaha! "because you're an idiot" classic.
Congrats on the 25 days you wild woman you!
Yes. Yes, I have. Sour Patch Kids is spot on!! :-)
Oh, dear, I swear you have just made my day. That was too cute and funny :) Good luck finishing out the month.:)
WOW 25 days straight. That's crazy. IF you get published, everyone probably thinks you're rich.
I'm getting excited... so I think my sour patch is turning sweet. Don't they do that sometimes? ;p
I try not to tell people I'm a writer... except my blogging friend's here, but they never ask those kinds of questions! ;)
Love those Sour Patch commercials!
Just every day of my life. Soursoursour. (And so ready for Wednesday!)
Yeah, I never want to be caught in that situation, so I never tell people I am a "writer". I tell them that I have "written a book. An unpublished book".
It still gets quite the reaction. "You have written an entire book? How long did that take?"
Lol!! That's why I always add "aspiring" or "well, I'd like to be..." tags to that whole "I'm a writer" thing. The only one I have to keep explaining the "rich and famous" part to is my daughter. She's already spent all my future riches. I keep telling her..."If I get published, that guarantees nothing!" But, like her mom - she's a dreamer. :)
Awesome job on the 25 posts straight! I don't think I even have 25 posts TOTAL! But, thanks again and again for checking out the few that I do have out there. You're awesome! :)
This is great!! Glad to know I'm not the only one that has those moments. By the looks of the comments it's a very common issue. Love the post!
LOL! Yeah, I've had those sour moments. I try to keep mum about writing sometimes, but there's something about being able to say "I'm a writer!" that's irresistable. :D
LOL, but they're so yummy! Well, not when you eat too many of them...
25 days of blogging! Wow! Go you! I don't know if my brain could keep up with that kind of schedule. Haha.
Hahaha! SOOOO true. I love the bit where people think you're rich if you have a publishing deal. Yeah, right!
Oh my God, Jen, you really are goooood at this!!! I cannot keep up!!! You really have one post a day and I've got to catch up!!! :)
It's so amazing -- 25 days of blogging! I pat myself on the back if I can blog even twice a week! just 6 more days to go -- you can do it, Jen!
And this, this is so, so true.
*Glares across the room at husband*. Ahem, yeah I have had those moments and I wonder why...actually I know why. Darling man of mine loves bragging to the world I'm a writer. He opens that can of worms daily. Me? I end up with a blank stare and idiotic smile, silently cursing him.
I honestly, haven't figured out how to talk to people about my writing...yet. (Hugs)Indigo
I don't like telling people that I'm a writer (for the reasons you gave) but it means they think I do nothing all day and the conversation dies an untimely death. lol.
Ha ha, I agree. At times things can get a little sour. But one day, we'll be able to tell people, yes, I'm published, and it's called xxx! I'm looking forward to that day :)
No. No publishing necessary! But it is nice.
Seriously! Is it worth telling the world? Yet I keep doing it, too. I have this illusion that I'll work harder at it if others know. Even if they don't understand.
Some of my closer friends and family knew, but I waited to tell people I was trying to get published until I got an agent. But even with that accomlishment, so many people just don't understand until you have a book on a shelf. And they seem to think that should be easy or something... ?? ;)
Lol, I love this. :)
I don't really tell the world I'm a writer, because when people ask, I tell them about the job that I have 9/10 of the time, the job I love, the job that pays the bills, I'm a teacher. So the whole writer thing is an easy one to avoid for me. Even on my blog, it says "Writer... maybe?" Lol.
I think of myself as a writer. One who writes. I guess if I were actively in pursuit of publication at the moment, I'd call myself "aspiring". Lots of people who know me know that I write. Unluckily, I don't have the time to be as serious about it as I'd like to be... but I guess luckily I don't have to worry about explaining it to anyone! ;)
Just so you know, it is highly inadvisable to be sipping a Diet Coke when reading something funny -- like, oh, I dunno "Little. Bastards." for instance.
Do you know what accidentally snorting Diet Coke up your nose feels like? Not. Good.
Not recently, but boy, have I had them. Great post!
LOL! This is exactly the reason I didn't tell many people that I wanted to be a writer until after my book deal... after reading this, I'm sort of glad I kept the secret. :)
Ok, I'm not a writer, unless you count a bit of blogging, and I'm not talking about 25 consecutive days either!
I'm probably guilty of confusing writer/published thing too, but not in a sour patch kids kind of way. I think Lynn is on the ball re the corporate world, wher value is confused with economic value.
I'm a teacher, and we face similar issues in education where economists are constantly talking about "value added"...to young people??? And trying to quantify it??
We do suffer for our art, don't we.
There's a poetry giveaway over at my place if you want some consolation!
LOL - pretty much :) It's fun telling people I'm a "writer," but sometimes it's just not worth the extra explanation :)
Yep. Just today. I told someone I'm a writer and they looked at me and said when did you publish it? I was like...
Great post! Ah the trials and tribulations of writing.
Ha, I know what you mean. I usually don't tell people I'm a writer anymore because I'm tired of their remarks, or that look like you live in lala land.
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