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January 2 question – What are your favorite and least favorite questions people ask you about your writing?

Sometimes, I like to take pieces of my novel to work so I can revise during my lunch hour. That’s one of those hit-or-miss propositions. Sometimes, I really do get work done. Other times… well, you can’t expect an extrovert to understand that two notebooks, a pen, and a set of headphones aren’t an invitation to talk.

So, between the fact that I try to use my lunch hour efficiently and the fact that I have co-workers, a lot of people know I’m writing  “a” novel.

Most of them don’t understand how difficult that is, or that the process is not a straight path from A (Writer comes up with an idea) to B (New York Times Bestseller List.)

There are a lot of people who know, and quite a few of them think it’s a good idea (because once I get to B (New York Times Bestseller List), I will be able to set them up with Rock Stars. (Because when you hit the New York Times Bestseller List,They automatically give you Mick Jagger’s home phone number. It’s the Law.))

My least favorite question? Anything with the word THAT in it. How’s THAT novel coming? Did you get THAT novel published yet? Have you and Keith Richards snorted anything off THAT novel yet? (No, I don’t know why I’m on a Rolling Stones kick this morning.)

THAT implies that there is only one novel. It completely ignores the process, and mostly ignores the progress I’m making. There’s an element of condescension and disbelief there. (Sure, I believe you’re writing a novel.) And a vague, not-quite interested kind of interest. I haven’t been working on the same novel the whole time I’ve known most of these people. I put up a website, a blog, loads of short stories, and yes, more than one novel.

On the flip-side, I like the questions that include the phrase “How do you…” Every now and then, someone asks HOW I do something. Having information that other writers want reminds me that yes, I am making progress. I learned how to do that, and now I can help others. HOW do you get a book published? (Well, I know the theory, anyway.) Something that implies they want to do the thing, themselves.  Which, of course, also implies that I am not alone in this.

Happy New Year, and all my best wishes to everyone!