Do you tell people you write?

Maybe it's just me (I suspect not though) but I hardly ever mention my 'hobby' of writing. Friends and family are not really interested and I have seen their eyes glass over if I ever mention it.

I was just reading my first ever post on here (about the plagiarizing of my script) and even there without knowing anybody on here, I was a little embarrassed about telling my story. https://www.comedy.co.uk/forums/thread/18648/

In my early days of writing, I had some jokes printed in a local newspaper. They were topical and about local events. The paper (which was a free weekly edition) asked if they could print one each week. I of course agreed but my wife was embarrassed because they printed my name for everyone too see with every one.

You'd think I had paid for a half page add to tell everyone I was a closet transvestite.

Even when I sold my first gag and got the payment receipt, if I showed it to anyone, it was met with feigned interest at best and embarrassed incomprehension at the worst.

Is 'I am a writer' a dark secret in your circles?

The giant "I am a writer hat" and the brass band who follow you playing "tears of a clown" could be considered autstentatious.

I do, of course I do, I'm proud of it.

As I work in communications (which in my case in almost completely about writing) and I freelance as a commercial writer, I find I can call myself a "writer" secretly meaning "comedy writer" and get away with it.

I know what you mean, though, I feel a bit embarrassed. It depends where you live, of course. If you're in a small area it's definitely a bit embarrassing because everybody knows and has an opinion (where I grew up people roll their eyes if you say it). Now I'm in Manchester the embarrassment is more about the place being full of "writers" and you can get into some competitive "conversations" with others who are trying to suss out whether you're doing better than them or not.

Maybe I just end up hanging out in the wrong crowd If I put more effort into writing, went for more opportunities or actually became successful, I'd feel a lot more comfortable describing myself as a writer. At the moment it's my little hobby, and yeah, absolutely nobody is interested in it either (except my Mam...)

What do you do in communications?

And what's shameful about writing? This isn't Elizabethan England you know.

Quote: sootyj @ August 23 2013, 11:28 AM BST

What do you do in communications?

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A number of things...I work for a couple of left-wing think tanks doing anything that involves speaking to the outside world (research, report writing, press management etc.) It's much better than my last job

Quote: sootyj @ August 23 2013, 11:28 AM BST

And what's shameful about writing? This isn't Elizabethan England you know.

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I'm not ashamed of it at all, I think it's great. I got the impression the OP was talking about the way others react, though. It depends where you live and what people you're around. I have friends who are writers and of course we talk about it. I don't hide the fact I write, either. There's probably just some people I wouldn't tell so I don't have to watch them roll their eyes! And there's other writers who I don't really want to end up in conversations with because some writers seem to think this is a competition.

I got what the OP meant, basically. There are certain circumstances where I'm not going to talk about it.

The other part is the worry that you might find out you're shit, of course. There's the potential embarrassment of that...

I think the embarassing thing is if people think you're a Walter Mitty type, forever working on their novel.

I think the embarassing thing is if people think you're a Walter Mitty type, forever working on their novel.

Most people know, but I don't bang on about it unless they're also invovled in the industry. Unless they ask, of course. You can definitely feel a bit of a prick telling people. For some reason.

Alright Matt
Don't bang on about it.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ August 23 2013, 12:01 PM BST

Most people know, but I don't bang on about it unless they're also invovled in the industry. Unless they ask, of course. You can definitely feel a bit of a prick telling people. For some reason.

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Were you the one who's from Cockermouth? Someone here once told me they were from Cockermouth, and I have a feeling it was you.

Out of interest, do you get any hassle about it there? Like, do people think you're above your station? Egremont is a bit like that, is all, and I'm curious to know if that attitude extends into the Lakes...

Quote: sglen @ August 23 2013, 12:08 PM BST

Were you the one who's from Cockermouth? Someone here once told me they were from Cockermouth

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I think that was a different site you were on, dear!

Quote: Marc P @ August 23 2013, 12:09 PM BST

I think that was a different site you were on, dear!

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Damnit! My secret place-names-that-sound-like-fellatio fetish is out. And we were so close to finding a second place name...

It's so easily done!!

Quote: sglen @ August 23 2013, 12:08 PM BST

Were you the one who's from Cockermouth? Someone here once told me they were from Cockermouth, and I have a feeling it was you.

Out of interest, do you get any hassle about it there? Like, do people think you're above your station? Egremont is a bit like that, is all, and I'm curious to know if that attitude extends into the Lakes...

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I lived in Cockermouth for quite a while, yeah; though I'm originally from Carlisle. To be honest I didn't really mention the writing thing too much growing up there, prob because I would have expected the kind of reaction you mention! When I go back and it's brought up, most don't seem to be able to really get to grips with the idea, like it's a bit of an abstract concept, or something... you see the eyes glaze.

Quote: sglen @ August 23 2013, 12:12 PM BST

Damnit! My secret place-names-that-sound-like-fellatio fetish is out. And we were so close to finding a second place name...

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I also used to live in a place called Cummersdale. Cockermouth and Cummersdale.

Don't move to Penistone then. (a small village not far from me)

Pronounced for obvious reasons Pennie stone