I’ve written before1 about how difficult I find navigating the social minefield of “talking about writing full-time while not making money doing so”. But after a year, more and more of my wider social circle knows/remembers, so it’s gotten easier. Occasionally, though, I’ll be talking to someone and out comes the dreaded: “So, how’s the writing going?”
It is a friendly question. It is meant in a friendly way, and I appreciate that.
Problem is, this is a question that blue-screens me like a 486 running Win952.
If writing is going well, then of course I want to talk about it, and I will. I will talk until the other person’s eyes roll up in their heads and they fall to the ground in the manner of an opossum praying that I will stop to wander off in search of easier prey, i.e. an appetizer3. And I am acutely aware of this, so what usually happens is I babble for about 30 excited seconds and then the ABORT command hits and I come to a screeching halt and awkwardly change the subject. It’s a not a great response when you’re trying to sell yourself, admittedly. It’s not a great response for anything except weirding people out.
…I may have mentioned I am not great at parties.
While some people enjoy my rambling4, no one wants to hear me talk about how writing is going badly. I am very aware of that too; hence this blog5. So the ABORT command travels even faster and sometimes I can change the subject before they’ve finished speaking, which I consider a skill.
Either way, it is not a Super Happy Fun Chat Times Question for me.
Well then, Neggy Naysayer, what’s the alternative?
I thought about this before heading on vacation last month6 . Then, when I got back, I reached out to some writer friends and acquaintances. I mean, I know what the answer is for me (which I will talk about next week) but I realized that there is probably a different response out there for each individual writer. And I got very curious about what those responses might be. So next week I will have my potential solution, for those interested7, and at least once a month I am hoping to have a guest post from a variety of people who all write in various capacities. Doesn’t that sound fun? I think that sounds fun.
See you next week!
- see: “Writer vs. Designer“
- If you are coming here from another page, welcome! I make a lot of nerdy references and YOU CAN’T STOP ME
- This has never actually happened (promise) but if it did I certainly wouldn’t blog about it. OR WOULD I
- I call these people “friends”
- see: “Writing is the Deadliest Sport“. Also: thanks for making it this far.
- and also while on vacation floating in a lake on an innertube that looks like a Homer Simpson doughnut, which is the best way to do any serious thinking, FYI
- I love youuuuu
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