When I was a young, aspiring writer, I recall reading a quote that read something like: "Writing is, by definition, a solitary action." As time has gone by, I've come to realize how accurate those words truly are. After all, very few people actually read what any writer produces.
Take Thanksgiving, for instance. At one point, my mother asked me, "Are you writing anything new these days?"
"Yes," I said, "In fact, I'll bring you some copies of a few things I've had published this past year. And I'll have three new books published in 2009."
"That's nice," she said. "How does Becky read all of the stuff you write?"
"Becky? She reads very little of what I write. She's tired. Worn out. She reads textbooks. Student essays. She could care less about reading what I write."
"You don't say! Well, I guess she does have a life!"
She has a life. That's an understatement. Recently Becky asked the kids if they had read a humorous essay I had written about the family a few months ago. "Why would I want to read something dad wrote?" was Logan's response. "I started to read it, "Chelsey said. "But I got busy." "That's all right," Becky chimed in, "I haven't had time to read it either."
Years ago, I used to write stories (and even publish a few) for my children and their entertainment. Sort of daddy's special gift. They would even ask me to read some of my stories as dinner entertainment. Now, the mere suggestion of reading one of my works-in-progress sends my son into agonizing spasms: "Dad, just bring me another pork chop! You gonna eat your hamburger helper? Here, let me take that sweet roll off your plate!"
"I have to listen to two hundred thirteen-year-olds tell me their stories all day long," Becky adds, "why on God's-green-earth would I want to sit here and listen to one of yours?"
"It's just a little something I've been working on for five hours today," I'll say. "Thought you might want to learn about Jell-O, or maybe hear a story about my old dog, or read some of the silly poems I'm churning out on my blog."
They just keep chewing.
Writing is certainly a solo pursuit. It's no wonder so many writers end up sticking their heads into glowing ovens!
1 comment:
Ha ha. Funny insight into the family as first-readers. :-)
I write YA, and my 13 year old daughter was my guinea pig for a YA horror novel I wrote earlier this year. But I can't interest her in reading the YA historical romance I am writing right now because it's not her favorite genre. And my husband tries to be supportive, but he also usually passes and pleads exhaustion. Thank goodness for writer's groups.
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