Ten Things Not to Say...

My Twitter feed is trending #TenThingsNotToSayToAWriter right now, and oh, boy, I just have to jump on that one! We hear things all the time that drive us crazy, but truly...only other writers understand.

1. "You know, I've been thinking about writing a book..."
ANSWER: Great. Awesome. Do it.

2. "It can't be that hard."
ANSWER: (after much laughter) Wait.

3. "So, I've written a book/story/memoir/fill-in-the-blank. Would you mind looking at it for me?"
ANSWER: You're my friend, so I'll try to be kind, but my time is very limited as it is. While I would love to read your stuff and give you knowledgeable feedback, unless you pay me, I just can't.

4. "You're a writer. Wow. You're like a millionaire, right?."
ANSWER: (again, much laughter)

5. "I have a friend who wrote a book in five days. She got an agent like that *snap*, and a publisher picked it up right away."
ANSWER: Go away before I kick you.

6. "Where do you get all those ideas?"
ANSWER: Honestly, I don't know. Characters pop into my head, and they won't leave me alone until I write their story.

7. "How do you find the time to write with all the other stuff you have to do?"
ANSWER: It's my passion. I find the time.

8. "Can I have a free copy of your book?"
ANSWER: While I'm honored you want to read my work, this helps pay my bills. It's my intellectual property, blood, sweat, tears, and all the other cliches you want to throw in there. If you give me a free doctor's appointment, legal representation, dance lesson, etc...perhaps we'll talk.

9. "It must be exciting to see your books on the shelves at Barnes & Noble."
ANSWER: It must be! I don't know. I self-publish and B&N won't touch self-published books.

10. "When does the movie come out?"
ANSWER: Grr.

There's a lot that goes into writing a book. Time, thought, heart, and so much more. If you want to support an author, buy their book. Write a review. Encourage them. We are artists, and we need the love. We appreciate our fans because without you, our work is meaningless. You breathe life into who we are. So keep reading!