When I’m asked what I do for a living, I’m tempted to cop out and refer to my previous career or give my professional title, which I still consider valid. Then, the inquisitive enquirer will want to know where I work, how I spend my day and, in a moment of awkwardness, I would have to confess that career is abandoned, not by choice, but life dealt me the wrong card and it’s gone, the job I loved.
I used to mutter the word writer. “Oh,” came the bemused response, unsure what to say next. It’s not what they’re expecting. I don’t say author, because then they’ll want to know what I’ve published and I’ve nothing to tell them… yet.
It’s not as if I can show my work in progress – I’d like to keep it under wraps until it looks worthy of attention, plus there’s the pesky copyright issue.
I have another blog, it’s private and there sit my draft chapters, the research garnered, links created to ideas, pictures for inspiration, and it’s all hidden from view.
Feeling a little left out of the word of authors and writers who share and explore ideas, I’ve created this blog to help me connect and come out of my isolation bubble. I won’t be duplicating the content on the other blog, though I might share snippets of my work in progress to help illustrate the musings of an emerging author.
Now, when people ask me what I do during the day, when my children are at school and my husband is immersed in the art of writing code, I say I’m learning to write, discovering what it takes to be an author, and contemplating the scary process of publishing a novel.
It’s a more a genuine answer. I don’t expect I shall ever stop learning, so this blog could be here for a while.
The Quiet Writer 
Hi there, this post reflects a lot of my own thoughts and feelings in relation to being an author, as well as my own intention in starting a blog. We are not alone (:
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Yup – another one here.
I hope your blog stays around for a while; I shall look forward to keeping up with it.
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Blogging is a great way of practicing the art of writing, connecting with other writers and readers. Look forward to following your journey.
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I never tell people I spend my spare time writing. I don’t even tell them I wrote a book, because when I do I can see their eyes get this little insignificant glaze over them, and I know they are thinking, “Oh, she wrote a book – now she is going to spend the next 15 minutes telling me about this book, and it probably sucks and is some kind of weird dystopian romance, and I really don’t want to stand here and listen to that.” So I don’t say a word. People that don’t blog and don’t interact with others that write just don’t understand how many great, unpublished writers are out there.
PS. I love this post!!!!
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With thanks! Lots of advice. http://classificadaonet.com.br/campograndems/author/rainaheron/
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I just recently started telling people I am a writer. My income right now comes from some online teaching that I do, but I spend much more time writing than I do teaching. It doesn’t pay the bills yet, but hopefully, it will eventually. I decided I needed to identify myself as a writer to even take myself seriously as one.
I am at Transformed Nonconformist. I usually write humor pieces, but I am getting serious this month. I’m writing about people who have deeply impacted my life.
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