To steal a page from Jeff Foxworthy’s book, you might be a writer if:
- You narrate your life in 3rd person
- The word “query” makes your eye tic (“synopsis” brings out full-on conniptions)
- The month of November both excites and intimidates you
- You understand the terms Miss Snark and Bransforums
- You own a thesaurus and the cover is worn with use
- You know exactly how many times you’ve used the word “was” in your manuscript
- When people say the name Janet, you immediately picture a hungry shark
- You walk through a bookstore and realize you’ve shared blog comments, tweets or emails with at least one of the new-release authors within the last month or so
- You walk through a bookstore and can immediately name the agent of at least one new-release author
- You spend more time with your characters than with your friends
- You know more about your characters than you do about your friends
- A portion of your brain is constantly working on your plot...even at 3 a.m.
- You grin like a madman (or madwoman) after each particularly kick-ass writing session
- You’re pretty certain beta readers are actually worth their weight in gold
*Additions from the Comments Trail*
- You've skipped meals because you were too busy writing
- You find yourself thinking 'that would make a really great story' when someone is telling you something that has happened to you and you're meant to be acting like a sympathetic friend
- When you find yourself eager to recommend books in your genre to people at the library. This is especially concerning if you're an adult browsing the MG fiction shelves.
- You often drift off in the middle of a conversation and have to make excuses to leave because you have just had a great idea about your manuscript
Was XD This is so true.
ReplyDeleteAwesome list.
How about adding: you've skipped meals because you were too busy writing.
Yes! Or...eaten while writing because you didn't want to stop. :)
DeleteI love these lists.
ReplyDeleteHow about, you find yourself thinking 'that would make a really great story' when someone is telling you something that has happened to you and you're meant to be acting like a sympathetic friend... whoops...
Ha, so true! I have a wall hanging that says "Careful. You might end up in my novel."
DeleteFabulous list!
ReplyDeleteI'd maybe add: when you find yourself eager to recommend books in your genre to people at the library. This is especially concerning if you're an adult browsing the MG fiction shelves.... I write MG, honest! I'm not a creep!
Sigh... blogger's new two word verification is HORRIBLE, FYI. Such a pain to leave a comment now. :(
OMG, I have SO done this! With both fantasy and MG...and yes, I've gotten those weird stares in the MG section, too. :)
DeleteThe word verification should be turned off now! Woohoo! But let me know if, for some reason, it's still asking you guys to verify.
DeleteHaha at least 5 of those things apply to me.
ReplyDeleteI might add: You often drift off in the middle of a conversation and have to make excuses to leave because you have just had a great idea about your manuscript.
Ha ha! These are true.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is something I (shamefully) do:
When you're chatting to someone and in your head you can picture yourself typing every word you say.
I laughed when I read, "you spend more time with your characters than with your friends," so true. so true. You may want to include something like, "You wake up in the morning with ideas for your story in your head." or maybe, "when you see someone interesting you automatically think, hmm they could make a character in one of my stories." :)
ReplyDelete