I don't know about you other writers out there, but this question has a huge affect on me. As soon as I hear it the room shrinks, every sound disappears, every face in front of me blurs, and each beam of light refocuses on me.
Then it comes time for an answer;
and I just...
freeze...
up.
I don't think I need to explain how ridiculous it is to say you're a writing and then be lost for words. I get 'that look'. The one that says 'well-good-for-you-deary-but-you're-clearly-a-deluded-twat-and-I'm-far-to-nice-and-sane-to-say-anything-to-you-I'm-sure-I'll-look-for-you-on-the-shelves-ha-ha-HA'.
Well la-de-bloody-dah.
Does this happen to any of you guys? Is there ever a time it comes to doing something you should be pretty darn good at and just can't explain why you aren't?
And have any of you writers ever faced the So what do you write? question and actually found a way to answer it?
After writing for a fair few years you'd think this kind of thing would be a piece of cake. It probably should be. But I still...
freeze...
up.
i used to say, "i write fantasy romance." that led to a few raised eyebrows and knowing smiles. then i changed it to "i write romance with fantasy." still had a few smiles. now i say, "i write medieval fantasy." -- that is, when i tell anyone that i write, which i don't bring up very often.
ReplyDeleteI say I write books, and leave it at that :D
ReplyDeleteThis happens to me A lot, but not with stinky so much. My husband is a sweetheart, and he gets really proud of me for doing, well, anything, and goes around announcing I'm writing a book blog, or I'm a designer, or I did so and so... And it puts the attention on me, and all I can do is barely mumbke out a response.
ReplyDelete'what kind of books to do you blog about?'
'...'
'oh yeah, what kind of design donyou do? Where do you work?'
'...'
Anything that kind of outs the spotlight on my... Creativity? Makes me freeze >__<
Yeah my hubby does the same thing. Anyone would think he's proud. The thing is, he told them about the whole writing thing WAY back when I first started and now all I get is "so how is it all going?" or "published yet?"
ReplyDeleteThey just don't get how long it all takes.
When I have writer's block, I just take an event or happening in my past and elaborate it with fantasy, description and "what could of happened" to the the point of hyperbole...
ReplyDelete:)
My problem tends to be saying too much and getting too enthusiastic. As in, I start rambling away, and the other person who only really asked to be polite is like, "Dear goodness what have I done." It's terribly sad.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could be like that. I think some part of me knows they're only asking out of niceness so I can barely respond. Once, I've told some of The Boy's friends that I write "fast-paced, erotic fiction", whatever that is. It got some pretty stunned looks.
ReplyDelete