What do you do?
Is a question you will come across
Over and over again
As strangers struggle to define you.
I want to tell them that I am a writer,
But there are negative connotations that come along with it.
Oh, so you're a writer.
Dot dot dot.
Fill in the blanks.
Will they even understand
What I think deep inside
Will they see it as I do?
Will they interpret the humor,
The poetry, the pain?
Will they tear up when I cry
And rejoice when I smile?
When they ask what type
And I don't quite know how to answer that
Will they know that I write a little of everything?
That I just can't categorize me?
When they ask if I've been published
And I cite magazines they've never heard of
Will they take me seriously?
Or will they dismiss me out of hand?
Will they care of the internal struggles I go through?
When they ask to see my writing
And I so want to show them
But I fear what they will think.
Will they scorn, will they mock, will they ridicule me?
For something they think is nothing,
And I used to think was everything,
But now I'm not so sure.
You're a very good writer, Altie. But when someone asks 'what do you do' they mean 'what do you do for a living' and while you do write, and are good at it, it's not your job, you don't do it for a living. I'm sorry if my post hurt you in any way. I assure you that was not its intention.
ReplyDeleteYou have a point. but what if I want to have a writing career in the future? And in general I may not write for a living but I do write. and in a literary setting it holds some weight.
ReplyDeleteAnne McCaffrey tells a (true) story about moving somewhere and needing to go "register" with the county. They asked her occupation, and she answered; "I'm a writer." The reply, "oh, that doesn't count. we'll just put housewife then." She had a marvelous comeback: "Could you tell the IRS that it doesn't count? I'd love to not have to pay taxes on that income!" "oh, you're a *published* *author*? Why didn't you say so?"
ReplyDelete:) Cute
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