Brilliant. Just brilliant.
He was wrong. Shouldn't he be the one to go?
Stupid things non-writers say
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Brilliant. Just brilliant.
He was wrong. Shouldn't he be the one to go?
Why start these
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Bless kids 
Mine said this:
"You try really hard, mum. Like, you keep persisting on writing your books even though you don’t finish them."
They're little truth mirrors.
Mine said this:"You try really hard, mum. Like, you keep persisting on writing your books even though you don’t finish them."
They're little truth mirrors.
Me (going nuts over a deadline): I need to finish 5000 words today!
Dad: Cat, mat, hat, sat, bat. That's five words already.
Dad: Cat, mat, hat, sat, bat. That's five words already.
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Haha... yeah. He's not much of a reader - I got that from my mom. The first time I told him that I wanted to write fiction, he was like, "I don't know anyone who reads fiction. How am I going to promote your book?" He insisted that I write my life story instead - or his.
The first time I told him that I wanted to write fiction, he was like, "I don't know anyone who reads fiction. How am I going to promote your book?" He insisted that I write my life story instead - or his.
Hhm. Two thoughts
1. Would he tell you the truth or would it be fiction?
At least in places. 2. Character in a book I read long while back, set out to write his autobiography, got bored by page five, wrote a ripping yarn instead and it was turned into a successful musical. Only in fiction.......
Incidentally, I've had career advice from a relative on what was then my day job and said relative had never, ever worked in the field I was working in. Said relative capped it off when I got a new improved job in the same field, was very, very pleased, told them about it and got the response "I know people doing the same thing as you are and they were unemployed at thirty."
Its not just writing where people think they know it all.
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mailtime I agree with justkia, don't even talk about stuff like that with him. post stuff here for feedback and just tell him you are working on submitting your novel.
I told him that if I write his life story, it's gotta be a no-holds-barred tell-all. He chuckled and said, "Nah. Your mom has to read it and sensor it before anyone else sees it."Hhm. Two thoughts
1. Would he tell you the truth or would it be fiction?
O_O
That actually sounds like a fun thing to do, considering writing my autobiography will definitely bore me from the first sentence. Might as well make it a cross-over between non-fiction and Alice in Wonderland kind of thing. Haha...2. Character in a book I read long while back, set out to write his autobiography, got bored by page five, wrote a ripping yarn instead and it was turned into a successful musical. Only in fiction.......
Ivane in Wonderland. (Now it just sounds like wish-fulfillment fan fiction.)
So true! I had a relative pushing me to go after the degree she had in college, saying that the one I wanted had no job opportunities whatsoever. Let's just say that I'm glad I didn't listen to her.
If anyone asks me to write their autobiography, I'm answering "okay, but I'm making you the villain, is that alright?"
Friend: I want to become a writer. How do I become one?
Me: You write.
Friend: I don't know how to.
Me: .....................................
I seriously never know how to react to that one. O_O This has happened to me more than once and it always leaves me kind of just chuckling awkwardly or scratching my head over the whole matter.
Me: You write.
Friend: I don't know how to.
Me: .....................................
I seriously never know how to react to that one. O_O This has happened to me more than once and it always leaves me kind of just chuckling awkwardly or scratching my head over the whole matter.
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To be perfectly fair, writing isn't some innate skill. It's a learned thing.
Think about playing the piano. To recast your conversation:
Friend: I want to become a pianist. How do I become one?
Me: You play the piano.
Friend: I don't know how to.
Me: .....................................
You can be taught to play the piano by use of simple exercises - to give you the basic muscle memory so you can do more complicated things.
I would suggest the same is true of writing. Being able to put pen to paper and construct a sentence is equivalent to knowing you have to press the keys on the piano. There's a lot more to it than that.
Think about playing the piano. To recast your conversation:
Friend: I want to become a pianist. How do I become one?
Me: You play the piano.
Friend: I don't know how to.
Me: .....................................
You can be taught to play the piano by use of simple exercises - to give you the basic muscle memory so you can do more complicated things.
I would suggest the same is true of writing. Being able to put pen to paper and construct a sentence is equivalent to knowing you have to press the keys on the piano. There's a lot more to it than that.
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Fair enough. Have never really thought of it that way.
I agree that writing is not an innate skill - although some are more gifted than others, same thing with playing the piano. My confusion stems out of the fact that most writers I know - myself included - really just began writing in order to become a writer. It was something that I did - even before I decided that I wanted to become a writer. It's something that I would most likely still do even if I didn't want to become a writer.
I'm uncertain how to respond to those questions because I myself learned by writing. I never took a writing class. I have read books on improving the craft - mostly out of what I feel I need to improve on or learn. But it all started with just putting pen on paper as often as I could.
That's what I don't understand. If you really want to be a writer, then stop talking about it, and write. (And I try to say that in the nicest possible way.)
I agree that writing is not an innate skill - although some are more gifted than others, same thing with playing the piano. My confusion stems out of the fact that most writers I know - myself included - really just began writing in order to become a writer. It was something that I did - even before I decided that I wanted to become a writer. It's something that I would most likely still do even if I didn't want to become a writer.
I'm uncertain how to respond to those questions because I myself learned by writing. I never took a writing class. I have read books on improving the craft - mostly out of what I feel I need to improve on or learn. But it all started with just putting pen on paper as often as I could.
That's what I don't understand. If you really want to be a writer, then stop talking about it, and write. (And I try to say that in the nicest possible way.)
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Maybe it's a lack of tone thanks to the internet; but I think there's a difference between "how do I become a super-amazing bestselling author" and "how do I write?".
The answer to the first is definitely writing: lots of it. But if they're asking the second, that's not going to help.
My response to the second would be something simple like write a day in the life of one of your pets, or something like that. Most of us do these kind of simple stories in school, which is why it seems blindingly obvious to us. But we're looking at it from the position of knowing.
Try to imagine - with your writer's imagination - what it would be like if you couldn't read. We're reading right now without thinking about it at all, and it's actually hard for me to conceive of a time when I couldn't read. But there was a time, and I had to learn.
It's the same thing as writing: it is so natural to you and me that it's hard to understand how you could not know how to do it. But we did learn. So can your friend.
The answer to the first is definitely writing: lots of it. But if they're asking the second, that's not going to help.
My response to the second would be something simple like write a day in the life of one of your pets, or something like that. Most of us do these kind of simple stories in school, which is why it seems blindingly obvious to us. But we're looking at it from the position of knowing.
Try to imagine - with your writer's imagination - what it would be like if you couldn't read. We're reading right now without thinking about it at all, and it's actually hard for me to conceive of a time when I couldn't read. But there was a time, and I had to learn.
It's the same thing as writing: it is so natural to you and me that it's hard to understand how you could not know how to do it. But we did learn. So can your friend.
I recently completed my second self-published novel and posted it on Amazon. My sister came over and I was showing her my sales figures. She was very happy for my success and asked me what I was doing now. I told her I was working on the next novel.
She sent me a confused look. "How can you already be writing another book?"
"... I'm a writer, it's sort of what I do."
Yet she doesn't think it at all strange that she can go work in an office five straight days.
She sent me a confused look. "How can you already be writing another book?"
"... I'm a writer, it's sort of what I do."
Yet she doesn't think it at all strange that she can go work in an office five straight days.
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'Kay, this is only SLIGHTLY related, but I never get to tell this story XD
So all the people who ask, "Name a character after me?", yeah?
Have any of you read As Dead As It Gets by Katie Alender? Character named Laina?
Hi.
So all the people who ask, "Name a character after me?", yeah?
Have any of you read As Dead As It Gets by Katie Alender? Character named Laina?
Hi.
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Do you ever say "because I'd make half the money?" That'd probably shut em up.
"Hurry up and write a bestseller so I can move into a mansion!" - everyone in my family.
Clearly their heart's in the right place and I admire their faith in me but it's still bloody annoying.
My mum's not so bad now that she's witnessed the writing process and all the things I go through when submitting short stories (haven't even finished any novels yet but I'm terrified for when the time comes to submit). She's still convinced I'm eventually going to make a fortune, though.
Clearly their heart's in the right place and I admire their faith in me but it's still bloody annoying.
My mum's not so bad now that she's witnessed the writing process and all the things I go through when submitting short stories (haven't even finished any novels yet but I'm terrified for when the time comes to submit). She's still convinced I'm eventually going to make a fortune, though.
This. Or one of it's variations:
"You've written a book? I should do that too."
Or
"I've been meaning to write a book too."
It may not be a specific thing said, but my biggest pet peeve is when people ask me to run an errand for them (or watch their kids for a few hours) because I often work from home and "must have the time." We may be at home, but those are our work hours. I never ask them to leave their jobs to do stuff for me!
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