Protecting Me or Denying Them?
Current Facebook Status: Thank God for overcast mornings on days the contacts don’t cooperate!!
Currently Playing in the Background: Biggest Loser, but wishing it was NCIS
I haven’t been completely up front about this whole ‘I wanna be a writer when I grow up’ thing with people I know ‘in real life’.
It’s scary to tell people that your dream is to write books and sell them and have people buy them at places like Amazon or Wal-Mart or ‘wherever books are sold’. There’s been a few people I’ve told who have been less than supportive. That makes me tentative to tell others. There’s a few people in my life who I’m certain will not be supportive – or will be ‘supportive’, but not really. You know, things like “Honey, we just don’t want you to get hurt when this doesn’t work out for you.”
And so I haven’t told very many people in my ‘real life’.
But…
It’s occurred to me that while I am protecting myself, I’m also denying both myself and my friends and family the opportunity for support.
Denying me:
- The support of friends and family who love me and want what’s best for me
- Well, isn’t that enough? 😉
Denying them:
- Not ‘I knew her when…’ – that’s not my point
- The opportunity to love and support me
I know that sounds kind of selfish, but it’s not meant to be. I’ve been thinking about how I would feel on ‘the other side’ of this. I would want the opportunity to be supportive. I would be hurt that I wasn’t allowed to do so. Some people more than others, obviously, but still.
And so I’m pondering whether or not to totally come out of the writing closet completely.
While it has nothing to do with the Purple Shadows vote, if those of you already in the know [mostly writer friends I’ve made along the journey so far] wanted to go vote [for me or not for me], go for it. I’m currently in a fairly distant third. But still third of eight :).
Back to pondering – and writing reviews…
Carol, you have so much work completed on so many manuscripts (two completed, and I’ve lost count of the started ones, for those of you who don’t know). I think if you broach the subject from the angle of what you HAVE DONE, instead of what you WANT TO DO, you might be surprised by the reactions of those people. If they know what great stories you’re telling, they’ll realize that the real question is not if you will be published, but when.
If they can hear about your stories, and they still aren’t supportive? Well, just come talk to me instead. I’ll be glad to tell you how good you are 😉
I recommend a dry run with a near-perfect-stranger. I recently did this. The woman was a guest at my church, a relative of one of our members. I know I’ve seen her before, but I can’t remember her name. We were visiting after the service, and the conversation flowed naturally, for me, in that direction. She asked about my story, and seemed genuinely interested when I told her about it.
Andrea –
You are too sweet, darlin’! I actually have been talking a bit out of my comfort zone. One of my students found my Facebook page. She’s actually been quite encouraging in class [and no, she doesn’t need bonus points ;)]. And because she’s been talking with me in front of others, I’ve been talking in front of others.
I AM proud of what I’ve accomplished so far, even without a contract. Or an agent. Yet.
Maybe if I can get Nick and Becca done… because it’s NOT related to UHH, you know?
Anyway – thanks, darlin’! And how much writing have you done lately, hmmm? 😉
We aren’t talking about me here. We’re talking about you!
I’m actually at a standstill. No characters are talking to me lately. I can’t decide if I’m a plotter or a pantser. /sigh/
Pray for me…somethin’s gotta give…sometime.