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Tuesday 24 April 2012

On Telling People

It's not a special anniversary or anything, but I've been thinking about being a writer, or, more specifically, about being an official, real, proper writer - in other peoples' eyes. It's no secret that I've had many strange, irksome and hilarious reactions to telling friends, families and outright strangers that I write. Or that I'm having a book published. Or anything in that vein. I've devoted whole blog posts to it.

So, on this dismally grey and dreary afternoon, I thought I'd share the highlights. Enjoy!


3. The Lady on the Bus

HER: So what do you do?
ME: Erm, I'm a writer.
HER: Oh how lovely! Do you work for a newspaper?
ME: No, I write novels.
HER: For a living? Oh you poor dear. Haven't you been able to find a real job?


2. The Guy Checking Passports at the Airport

HIM: So what do you do, miss?
ME: I'm a writer. 
HIM [perking up no end]: Really? A writer! What kind of stuff do you write? 
ME: Books. Novels, I mean. Fiction.
HIM: Wow! Any, like, crime?
ME: Erm, no. I write teen fiction. Young adult.
HIM [totally crestfallen]: Damn. I'd have asked for your autograph if you wrote crime.


and finally, a real gem-
1. My mother

ME: I have an agent! Also a book deal!
HER: Wow! Hooray! You know this is because I lit a candle to St. Jude, right?
ME [totally at sea because this is so not the kind of thing my far-too-practical mother normally does]: What?
HER: You know? The patron saint of hopeless cases?

Thanks, Mum. Thanks.


Anybody have their own 'when I told people' stories to share?

10 comments:

  1. Ha! So true. I've had many experiences similar to these. Which is why I need the online writing community. I'd go crazy without ya'll!

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  2. I guess because I have a paying gig and I write, when people ask me what I do I tell them I'm in the Telecommuncations industry and I also write. When asked what I have published, I tell them I don't have anything published traditionally but that I did do a personal project that I published. Then again, I don't get asked very often so I suppose I'll just be quiet now :-(

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  3. There's definitely a stigma against writing . . .


    The Golden Eagle
    The Eagle's Aerial Perspective

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  4. =O I'm so indignant on your behalf in regards to that (annoying) lady on the bus. I hate it when people view writing as a degraded thing. What was your response to her question btw? I'm curious.

    My fav has to be the guy on the airport. And your mom because, well, who can resist a sarcastic and witty mom? :P

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  5. As if writing wasn't difficult enough...
    I'm so proud of you for persisting and achieving your goals, Sangu. There are (unfortunately) too many stories I can tell. Two favorites:

    Told my parents I wanted to take time off to write.
    Parents: "What do we tell people about you?"
    Me: "Um, the truth because I'm not in rehab for drugs, so it should be fine."

    My close college girlfriend who wanted me to come visit while I was in the midst of revisions full time.
    Friend: "Come stay with me for a couple weeks."
    Me: "I don't know if I can do a couple weeks but that would be fun."
    Friend: "But you're not really doing anything."

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  6. So funny! I'm sure you'll also get the requisite, "When are you going to write real books?" response, if you haven't already!

    http://bklovin.blogspot.com/

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  7. hahaha! I haven't told a whole lot of people I'm a writer, much less what I write (which I say is speculative fiction; I teeter in the "new adult" zone, which, apparently, isn't an audience. ah, well. who cares.)

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  8. Hahaha! Oh, I can so relate. Now I tell people I'm a novelist and just stare them straight in the eyes, DARING them to come out with something!

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  9. LOL! These are all gems, but #1 takes the cake! I can totally relate though.

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