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How friends react to your work
Okay, so Ive long accepted that friends can be a little strange about reading my articles. They usually just look at the photographs and skip the text. I dont worry about it any more, but today took the biscuit.
A friend of my OH has been visiting us and OH talked about his underwater pics because said friend is a bit of a photographer himself. OH mentioned that I use his underwater pics in my articles, so I showed said friend one of them.
Friend duly looked at the article, highly praising OHs pics.
Did he actually read my article? Ive no idea. All I know is that I overheard him saying to OH why is her name on this and not yours?
:rolleyes:
Comments
One of my friends is just not interested in my writing at all - I don't know why. I'm sure I don't go on about it very much, in fact I'm very aware of not doing it when she's there as if I do mention it she just makes a passing comment and moves on to another thing. So I've started doing the same when she goes on about her children. :) (Am I very bad?)
Some of my friends are more interested than others, to the extent of coming and listening to me read - about 8 came to hear me to my Uni course and about 11 came to Bath Literary festival to hear me there. I'm sure they'll buy my book... but I wouldn't really chat about my writing unless something exceptionally interesting had happened or was about to happen, ie getting published, going to a retreat etc.
Which is incidental really to the actual writing, I mean you can't actually TALK about writing can you? Edit to say, I mean to people who don't do it? I do to a friend who has just got an agent for her novel.
Heather-I don't think that's bad-in any case sounds like jealousy to me :)
Personally I don't discuss my writing with anyone, occasionally I let my OH read stuff but mostly I just keep it to myself. It's mine and when-and I mean when-it's published then maybe I might be tempted to crow a bit, but until then it's between us and the editors I have sent stuff too :)
Also, I should point out that he didn't refer to me as "her" - he did use my name, but I didn't want to use my real name when I typed the quote.
I'm not really upset with him - I was more amazed then anything. :)
My friends are different - they are mainly very supportive and give me the chance to 'go on a bit' about my writing from time to time. But I try not to do it too much. Though I do have one very good old friend who always changes the subject if I mention my books... I have never sussed out why this is. I can't think it's jealousy because she is not that kind of person. It's almost like a kind of embarrassment, as though I worked in the sex industry or something...
When I talk about writing to my friends and family - their eyes glaze over.
She can't have been toooo offensive though, as when she was moved to another ward, her ward all signed a petition to get her back... I've never heard of that happening before!
As for your OH's friend... pearls to swine, my friend ;)