Joined
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92 Posts
Just a message to say this nefarious lurker has been inspired to register and say thank you for all of the fine advice that permeates these pages. I should say that I am not in the league of many in terms of sales - I am going down the 'Coastal Erosion' path of gradually wearing down the reading public until they buy - but I am encouraged by everyone's success.
This seems to be a fine outlet for writers. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who almost whispers that they have written a book or two as if I've been involved in some kind of hidden war crime. Part of it is the tendency to not what to bore people and part is the realisation that telling someone you've written a few books ends more friendships than it preserves - sample conversation
Friend: "Wow, you've written a book!"
Me : "Four actually."
Friend: "I'd love to read them."
Me : "No, you probably wouldn't."
Friend: "No, I really would."
Me : "Well as long as you don't think you HAVE to read it or HAVE to like it."
Friend: "No, I'm sure I'll love it."
Fast forward three weeks:
Me : "Hello Dave, how are you?"
Friend (Ex): "Dave? Who is Dave?"
Me : "Dave, it's me!"
Friend (Ex): "Who? I've never seen you before in my life!"
Me : "Is this about the book? I told you that you didn't need to read it. Let's not let it get in the way of our friendship."
Friend (Ex): (clutching chest theatrically) "Aghhh, I'm having a coronary episode! Please leave me to flail around on the ground in peace."
Anyway, thanks for a reminder that writing, however modestly one could call it (My total sales would probably pay for a King-Size Mars Bar), is a fine creative endeavour. Fascinating to read all of your experiences.
This seems to be a fine outlet for writers. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who almost whispers that they have written a book or two as if I've been involved in some kind of hidden war crime. Part of it is the tendency to not what to bore people and part is the realisation that telling someone you've written a few books ends more friendships than it preserves - sample conversation
Friend: "Wow, you've written a book!"
Me : "Four actually."
Friend: "I'd love to read them."
Me : "No, you probably wouldn't."
Friend: "No, I really would."
Me : "Well as long as you don't think you HAVE to read it or HAVE to like it."
Friend: "No, I'm sure I'll love it."
Fast forward three weeks:
Me : "Hello Dave, how are you?"
Friend (Ex): "Dave? Who is Dave?"
Me : "Dave, it's me!"
Friend (Ex): "Who? I've never seen you before in my life!"
Me : "Is this about the book? I told you that you didn't need to read it. Let's not let it get in the way of our friendship."
Friend (Ex): (clutching chest theatrically) "Aghhh, I'm having a coronary episode! Please leave me to flail around on the ground in peace."
Anyway, thanks for a reminder that writing, however modestly one could call it (My total sales would probably pay for a King-Size Mars Bar), is a fine creative endeavour. Fascinating to read all of your experiences.