Does your family knows you are writing a novel?
My close family knows I want to make a living writing novels. I was 9 years old when I first said to them I wanted to be a writer.
They found it very funny.
When they realized I was darn serious, they laugh even harder.
Nobody could earn a living writing (remember, I am a francophone, living in a very small francophone bubble).
It’s a waste of time.
It’s delusional.
Therefore, no one else in my family knows I’m writing novels. And when I get published (it’s going to happen, I’m working hard, I’m learning), there’s little chance for them all to get the info.
Me writing a novel is my darn business
No worries.
I settled to be a writer anyway, even it took me more than 15 years to get my parents’ laughter (and shameful, disgusted, contemptuous look, like it was a dirty thing to share my writing with others) out of my head.
I did though. It gets better. Promise.
But, even among my closet friends, I soon learned to keep my mouth shut about it.
Keeping my mouth shut about writing a novel is the best thing I ever did for myself.
All the awkwardness, frustrating questions, debates about literature, it all had to stop.
Peace and quiet.
At last.
Of course, sometimes, you just need to talk to someone about that scene, that character, that plot twist!
That what blogs are for !
I share about writing in a blog post or I go take a little stroll with the Writing Community on Social Media.
That’s where it’s fun to talk about writing. Where it means something and go somewhere!
Tomorrow, while we’ll have the Christmas champagne, a family member will try to ask if I’m still writing novels.
One of them always try, always fishing for an opportunity to tell me I’m wasting my time working for little/no money.
I will shrug in silence and take the longest sip possible.
Don’t worry, they’re just making conversation.
They really don’t care about the answer.
Dear writer friends, happy Christmas Eve 2019, thanks for reading and until next time.
Marie Alice Writes & Reads 