Recently, in answer to a question, I explained I was a writer. The woman asked what I wrote and was quite interested in in the writing/publishing process. At the conclusion of our brief conversation, she remarked it was nice I had a hobby.
I didn't react but I was slightly offended at her perception of writing as a hobby. In my world, a hobby is something I'd do for relaxation. I love writing and enjoy it but it's work and I schedule time for it nearly every day. I don't wait until I have nothing else to do - that would never happen and I'd never write anything!
Have you dealt with people who think writing is a hobby? How did you feel about it?
About Me
- Pat Meece Davis
- Blue Ridge Mountains, NC, United States
- Although I lived in State College, Pennsylvania for many years, I grew up in a small town in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. I graduated from Western Carolina University and earned Masters and Ph.D. degrees from Penn State University. Because of my love for words, I turned to full-time fiction writing a few years ago. In the fall of 2012, I received and accepted a publishing contract for my first book, INTERRUPTED BY MURDER, a romantic mystery. I, also, moved back to my beloved North Carolina mountains. I'm now working on a romantic thriller that takes place in the Netherlands. Life is wonderfully exciting!
2 comments:
Yes, I've met people, usually in my own family, who have no idea that I write and publish my writing. Then there are those who assume you are not a writer unless you have published a book and made lots of money.
When I finally accepted the truth that I am a writer, and I declared I am a writer, I found that my image changed, especially in the younger members of my family, who began to respect what they could see that I had done.
As for my friends, most of them are writers, too.
If I say I'm a writer, the first question is if I'm published. I figured out that if I immediately add after the "writer part" that I'm working on getting a novel published, it presents me as a serious writer, not a hobbyist! Much better!
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