Owning Up to Our Writing…Locally

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

There’s an old Bugs Bunny cartoon called Hare Brush where a psychiatrist brainwashes Bugs to make him believe he’s Elmer Fudd.  The line he brainwashes Bugs with is: I’m Elmer Fudd, millionaire.  I own a mansion and a yacht.

This isn’t the line I’ve brainwashed myself to know by heart.  Mine goes: I’m a writer.  I write murder mysteries.  Yes, I do write under my own name and also as Riley Adams.

Repetition makes it easy.  It’s practically muscle memory at this point.  I don’t even have to think about it.

It wasn’t always that way.  For years I said: I’m a stay-at-home mom.

This stopped rather abruptly years ago at social gatherings when various friends would interrupt me, frown ferociously, and announce to my new acquaintance, “No, she’s not!  She’s a writer.”

I’m sure many of us have had the experience of telling someone we’re a writer.  All the energy in a room gets sucked out by the declaration and then that energy seems completely directed at us. For someone who’d rather observe others and not be the focus, this isn’t fun.

Online, it’s no big deal.  I’m a writer. At a conference, I’m very clearly a writer.  I speak at libraries as a writer.

In the grocery store?  At the PTA?  At a party a friend is having?  It took years to own up to being a writer in those settings.

Now I’m very smooth with the reveal.  I give all the information up at once.  Writing is what I do.  This is the genre I write. I wait for the “do you write under your own name” question and immediately have a response for that, complete with a “it’s okay that you’ve never heard of me” sympathetic look.

I’ve even reached the point where I have my business cards actually on my person.  That’s right.  I’m ready for the great reveal at any time, complete with a professional card.  Because my new friends will ask me to write my info down otherwise and although I carry many, many writing utensils with me at all times, on such occasions, the pens will be out of ink and the pencils will all have broken tips.

Then is that moment where they feel they need to offer to read my books.  This is when I say they’re available at the library. Some of them. You can read one and see if you like them.

Practice makes perfect when it comes to talking about our writing. After my initial admission of writing,  I’m frequently faced with offers of book club visits.  Probably one in ten people that I meet  in Charlotte, NC, either belongs to a book club or knows someone who is in a book club.  These folks frequently feel compelled to have me talk. I’ve spoken at quite a few book clubs, but I’ve talked my way out of appearing at many more book clubs.  My discomfort usually starts when they ask what themes my books have or what discussion questions my books may generate.

For years, I’d just avoid speaking to clubs that wanted me to dissect my books in a roundtable discussion.  Let’s face it: the books aren’t lit fic. I’d politely decline and thank the person for their interest.

But now I’ve got a ready answer for groups that want me to discuss one of my books.  Our conversation goes more like this:  I write genre fiction that isn’t heavy in theme, but I’ve gained interesting insights on writing, mysteries, and the industry that I’d love to talk about.  

This approach has made it easier for me to accept more invitations to speak. And it makes me a lot more relaxed when I’m there.

I don’t believe I’ll ever be 100% comfortable talking about my writing in a social setting.  But heck—I won’t ever be 100% comfortable in a social setting, period.

Other ways I’ve let people in my community know I’m a writer (without telling them upfront):

Shared new book cover designs on my personal Facebook account (although I rarely do this because I think my frequent releases could create Elizabeth-Fatigue online).
Written occasional articles for local newspapers (very, very local newspapers…the kinds you pick up for free in local restaurants).  I make sure my bio mentions my books and how I tie into the community.
Talked in local schools when invited.  The kids always tell their parents. I frequently know some of the parents.
Indicated my career via my email signature.  It’s automatically included on every email I send out, whether it’s to another writer or to my child’s teacher or the gymnastics coach or the neighborhood homeowner association. It’s just a hyperlink to my website and a link for my newsletter signup.

Then I just cross my fingers that word spreads and I don’t have to do too many more I’m-a-writer reveals at parties.

How do you handle talking about your writing in social settings?  Is it hard for you to do, or easy?

Image: MorgueFile: xandert

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