Why Do Writers Have to Justify Themselves?
A funny thing happened to me the other day. Sounds like the set-up for a joke but there was nothing funny about it. Someone asked me what I do and I answered: “I’m a writer.”
Their doubtful stare was followed by the inevitable question: the same question I have heard numerous times before was brought out into the open for everyone to hear: “So you’re a writer? Did you write anything I would actually know?”
Squashing the temptation to say: “I doubt it, I don’t write coloring books” I opted for the lesser of two evils and said, “Tell me everything you have read and I’ll let you know if I wrote it.”
Okay, so maybe they were genuinely interested and I took their comment the wrong way, but when you hear that question with an “I don’t believe you, prove it” tone of voice, it tends to get on your nerves. Do they ask similar questions of other people?
I’m a florist – “Have you created any flower arrangements I would actually know?”
I’m a hairdresser – “Have you cut any hairstyles I would actually know?”
I’m a technical support consultant for Blackberry – “Have you done any troubleshooting I would actually know?”
Ironically, the last example is my day job (though no one ever questioned if I was really a trouble shooter). The day job pays the bills, puts food on the table, and affords me the time to work on my writing – it’s hard to concentrate on character dialog when your belly is screaming “Feed Me!”
“Well,” I usually answer, “I have two books out right now: one is a zombie thriller called Dead Hunt and the other is a comedy called The Saga of Bayou Billy.” Around that time the conversation usually takes one of two directions: Either they become genuinely interested because if I have two books I must be a writer; or they continue their juvenile interrogation by asking if I just do it for fun or do I actually make a living at writing. For the latter of the two scenarios I answer: “Yes, I am making a living, because if I couldn’t write it would kill me.”
While they ponder that thought I strike up a more meaningful conversation with someone else. Now don’t get me wrong, 99.9% of the time I would never answer questions so crudely, but if you call me out in front of a crowd I’m not going to slink into the corner with my tail between my legs because you haven’t read or heard my books and stories. I write and I don’t have to prove it to anyone but myself.
Why do writers (creative people in general for that matter) have to prove we have the right to say we are who we are? Why is their measuring stick to the validity of our claim of being a writer based solely on whether or not they have read our work? Who the hell are they anyway? Just because some bozo in a bar or Miss Bertha-thinks-she’s-better-than-you at the office has not read your book, short story or whatever it is that you write, does not change who or what you are: if you write, you are a writer. Period. And don’t get me started on the folks who feel it’s their responsibility to advise you to give it up because it’s too hard to “make it” – especially when they haven’t done anything except make excuses… I’ll save that for another post.
I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions. Please comment below.
© 2011, Kenn Crawford. All rights reserved. Audio is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License.
I’ve been identifying myself as a writer for years but I have the advantage of having a day job as a reviewer for a website. This pretty much negates the question you describe since they can just visit the website if they want to read it. I can understand your frustration, however.
The thing I find interesting is that you have a day job but you identify yourself as a writer. Some of the people I work with won’t label themselves as writers. They stick to their old professions when people ask. So even through they exclusively work as a writer, they’ll tell people they are electrical engineers. I’ve always wanted to be a writer and feel a lot of pride about the fact that I’ve, in a way, made it (though I’ve only started writing proper novels). They, on the other hand, seem to view the profession with a bit of disdain even though it pays their bills.
A very interesting dichotomy.