Juliana Brandt has invited everyone to share the best response we've ever received after having told someone that we are writers. I don't have any good stories myself; simply because after two and a half years of working on my story, I haven't told more than ten people about it yet. I didn't even tell my wife until after the first year! After all, I already have a job as a research chemist, there are plenty of projects to be done around the house, and my story can't even be published (as it's mostly fan fiction). I'm not sure I could have even explained what I was doing to myself, much less others.
Since then, I've told my sister-in-law, her husband, and several moms in our school district. Not the dads, though. The only guys I've mentioned it to so far are close personal friends. Don't know if I ever told my brother. Why the reluctance with guys? I guess I just feel women will view "writing" more favorably.
Perhaps once I finish my story and move on to my own story worlds, I'll be more willing to admit to my passion for writing fiction.
Then again, maybe I'll wait until I actually publish something first.
Darn insecurities!
Hi Ken
ReplyDeleteI am an Englishwoman living in France and joining in with Juliana's Blogfest - I don't actually know what fan fiction is, you say it can't be published and I accept that. My advice in your place would be to write something, a genre piece and put it out there so that you have that experience of being published. Do it under a nom de plume if necessary. People love science as a background to fiction, not necessarily science fiction but things like global warming, genetic engineering etc these things fascinate me!
As a romantic fiction writer I find men more receptive to me. But like you, if I were a man, my experience would suggest that women are more open and flexible about artists.
Best of luck.
Emma
Interesting. I had to go and look up fan fiction :)
ReplyDeleteFan fiction is fiction which is based on someone else's story. In my case, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I don't use any of her characters or storyline, but since it takes place in Hogwarts, that makes it fan fiction.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to tell people close to you. All my internet friends know, obviously, but only my immediate family know 'offline'.
ReplyDeleteWriting can be such a secretive thing, can't it? Weird really, when you consider that we want to share our stories so much...
ReplyDeleteHey Chemist Ken! I'm Chemical Engineer Kelley!
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of fan fiction, good for you.
I don't really tell anyone either...
I love that you're writing about Hogwarts! (Just caught that from your response to Ms. Saba). It's so hard to know what you should do with your story and when, sometimes! I usually tell people I'm a writer, just because besides being a mom, that's what I do!
ReplyDeleteIt took me a while to tell my hubby about my writing as well. In fact, I kept minimizing the window when he was around so he wouldn't see. Eventually, he saw me writing and I had to tell him.
ReplyDeleteI'm fascinated with your fan fiction- that you use the setting but your own characters. I'd love to read some sometime :)
ReplyDeleteI completely understand not telling people, or at least, being picky about who you tell. I'm the exact same way.
Hi Chemist Ken! I like the alliteration. I'm visiting from the Warm Fuzzies Blogfest. Your strategies, both by starting to write by tackling a subject you feel passionately about, and the fact that you still identify yourself publicly with your day job, make perfect sense to me. I think it's all about what you feel comfortable revealing to people and when. And there's no better way to learn to write than writing about something you care deeply about without thought to getting it published.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Kim Van Sickler
http://swaggerwriters.blogspot.com/