Top 5 Things People Tell You When They Find Out You’re Writing a YA Novel

coryleslie · Nov 10, 2009

(Inspired by a conversation from the Old People Writing for Teens thread.)
1.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Um, wouldn’t you rather write a real book?
2.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Does it have vampires in it? Or werewolves?
3.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]So, you hang out in the YA section at Barnes and Noble… That’s…cool. I guess. If that’s what you’re in to.
4.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]When can I read it? (Author promptly prints out 400 page manuscript, which reader promptly sits on for six months.)
5.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]That’s nice, but what do you want to write when you grow up?

What other gems have you heard?

Skye Jules · Nov 10, 2009

1. Cool. When are you going to publish it?
2. Can I read it?
3. I don't have enough time to do that.
4. You have too much free time. (My novel writing takes up my free time!)
5. I want to write a book. (Person never gets to writing it)

Juneluv12 · Nov 10, 2009

Skye,

Your #4 reminds me of a former student. For the most part, my current and former students are UBER supportive, thrilled, excited, about my writing.

BUT I tell a Senior about my book...this is response. "Oh geez, we gotta get you a man! You know, my former wrestling coach is single...."

Nice....

Skye Jules · Nov 10, 2009

My friends are supportive, but they know I've been writing since I was in the second grade. It's just new people who find out, people who hate writing in the first place. There are some people who find out and come forward and mention that they're writers as well. This is when I bust out my advertisement for my college's Creative Writing Club.

kaitlin008 · Nov 10, 2009

People usually tell me they're proud of me "just for writing it"
Which I'm not sure if I should take as a nice thing, or as them thinking I'll never get published lol.

I don't generally talk about it just to any random person, because I don't want to explain to everyone how it's not just, you write it, you publish it. So I don't get much of the "oh I want to write a book" thing. But I do get a lot of "can I read it" (I don't let people lol. Not yet!)

Renee Collins · Nov 10, 2009

Number one type of question is always "When is it going to be published?" or "Is it published?"

Always takes a tiny little piece of my pride away.

Geek_Pride · Nov 10, 2009

So, when is it going to get published?

-Every time.

~*Kate*~ · Nov 10, 2009

My MIL calls them "your kids books." *sigh*

coryleslie · Nov 10, 2009

Ooh...Can't believe I forgot about the demoralizing "when will it be published" question that leads to "well, first you have to get an agent, and then go on sub, and then...it's kind of complicated. You're right, let's change the subject." *Hangs head in shame*

Smish · Nov 10, 2009

"Oh! You want to be a writer? Then you should definitely write a legal thriller! I mean, you're a lawyer. Why would you want to write about kids?"

First of all, I don't WANT to be a writer. I AM a writer.

Secondly, I do not want to write a freaking legal thriller. I don't like to read them, so why would I write them? And maybe, just maybe, I don't want to write about my job (of course, real-life legal practice is nothing like the stuff you read about in novels, anyway!). So.... NO, I AM NOT WRITING A LEGAL THRILLER!

Grrrr.......

coryleslie · Nov 10, 2009

Here's another one I forgot...
You write? Well, my life is really interesting. You should write my memoir. Whoo-ee, do I have a story to tell! Why aren't you picking up your pen?

BriMaresh · Nov 10, 2009

1. That's so cute!
2. My friend's aunt's cousin's sister's brother wrote a kid's book, once!
3. Why don't you write something realistic?
4. Where can I buy it?
5. That's nice. (and then they abruptly change the topic, as though they were embarrassed)

Z0Marley · Nov 10, 2009

Renee Collins said:
Number one type of question is always "When is it going to be published?" or "Is it published?"

If it makes you feel better, your conversations could go like this:

"Oh, really! Where can I buy a copy?"
"Well, I haven't looked into getting an agent yet. I'm still editing."
"Why are you wasting your time doing that? Can't you just like... send it to the printer guys?"

. . . /sigh

TereLiz · Nov 10, 2009

Gah! When I say I write YA fiction, people always say, "Oh. Like Twilight?"

Grr...

My dad keeps asking me "how's your book going?" How very vague of him.

~*Kate*~ · Nov 10, 2009

"You know what really makes money? Romance novels."

TrixieLox · Nov 10, 2009

1. Ooooh, when you're a millionaire like JK Rowling, remember me!
2. Ooooh, when you're a millionaire like Stephenie Meyer, remember me!
3. Ooooh, when your book's made into a film like Harry Potter was, remember me!
4. Ooooh, when your book's made into a film like Twilight was, remember me!
5. Can I help you cast the film?

This, added to many others posted already, especially the 'can I read it?'. When you finally relent and let them, they don't bother. Oh, and the 'so when's your book out' when u tell them you have an agent and the look of disappointment on their faces when you say having an agent doesn't mean my book'll definitely be published is just - ouch!

bethany · Nov 10, 2009

Well the other day, I was at a signing and I bought another author's book, and they were like, oh, I'd buy yours but I don't really know any teens to give it to..." Like, yeah, there's an age limit, and it's not good enough for adults to enjoy.

maddicharmed · Nov 10, 2009

Usually my friends, because they know I write a lot, say: "God, you're weird, but I guess it's kinda cool" or "How can you write so much, I can't write that much?!"

eyeblink · Nov 10, 2009

Since I'm supposedly of mature age, I don't get the "when you grow up" one. Not to my face anyway.

However I do get variations on "I can't imagine you writing a teenage novel" because people (on the basis of some of my published stories) assume I won't be able to include sexual content and swearwords as they don't read YA themselves and assume everything published for anyone other than adults has to be PG-rated. Though I have had stories published which are as PG as anyone else's too.

"Do you make it all up?" was another one I had once.

And "What name do you write under?" (My first name and surname, with the exception of four romance stories I did use a pseudonym for, way back in the early 1990s.)

amlptj · Nov 10, 2009

1) Dont you have better things to do?
2) Why would you do something like that?
3)Really!?
4) so its just a hobbie or something?
5) are you ever going to get published

kaitlin008 · Nov 10, 2009

I seem to have lucked out with people in my life not thinking of YA as for the kiddies. My mom teaches 5th & 6th grade (english and social studies), so she knows the different reading levels. And she reads a lot of MG because she likes to know what her students are reading.
My boyfriend and sister (and most of my friends) know nothing about various genres, etc, besides what I tell them.

peachiemkey · Nov 10, 2009

Pretty much "Wow" and "Are you going to get it published?" Boring, I know. The closest I've come to offensive is "When are you going to get it published?!?!" But she was probably just trying to motivate me. haha

Red.Ink.Rain · Nov 10, 2009

Ditto with Kaitlin. The oddest reaction I've run into is the "smile and nod" thing. No matter what you say, whether it's the fact that your agent is getting ready to submit your book to Big-Ass Puslibhser or that you're doing Revision #10, it's just "smile and nod." I kind of want to know if I'll get any reaction when I sell something someday.

My speech class, however, DID say "Whoa! Cool!" when I had to be interviewed for a speech about my book. It made me happy.

cscarlet · Nov 10, 2009

1.) Really? (change of subject)
2.) Good for you! (change of subject)
3.) That's.... cool. (change of subject)
4.) But... shouldn't you write something professional? (i.e. nonfiction sciency stuff) (change of subject)
5.) Are you going to make millions and be famous? ("no...") (change of subject)

Sage · Nov 10, 2009

I've definitely gotten a "not real writing" response (which might've been as much about being fantasy than YA) from a journalist after my friend introduced us like "OMG, you have to meet my friend, she writes too, you'll have so much in common!"

Usually people I know are like, "That's cool" and either move on or tell me how they've always wanted to do it.

You want a condescending response though? Try telling them you write fanfic.

Top 5 Things People Tell You When They Find Out You’re Writing a YA Novel

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