Beyond Talks with Imaginary People: Ten Reasons the Rest of the World Thinks Writers Are Crazy*

mermaids, Pintip, Writing

Pintip Mermaid1. At the table of a crowded restaurant, we debate the pros and cons of killing by poisonous gas or a slit to the throat.

2. Most of our texts to our friends read something like: “1236 words! You?”

3. We return to our manuscripts and add an adjective (only to take it out later in revisions) just so we can say we hit out daily word count.

4. We call our friends to share life events – “Brynn just got into college!” or “Brynn has a baby!” – and accept the ensuing congratulations like a proud mama, even though Brynn is not our daughter. Or niece. Or even a person, really.

5. One year later, we completely blank on Brynn’s name.

6. We convince our husbands to help us out with a sticky detail by contorting our bodies into complicated sexual positions. And when we figure out just the right angle, we pop up and rush out of the room, saying, “Thanks! Gotta get this scene down!”

7. We respond to highly erotic sex scenes by pointing out the missing commas.

8. We get caught checking out a teenaged soccer player, over two decades younger than us, because he reminds us of the hero in our book.

9. We make plans to meet up with our out-of-town best friend, with whom we’ve exchanged thousands of texts, emails, and phone calls, and ten minutes before we arrive at the destination, we turn to our companion and say, “Gee, I hope I recognize her.”

10. We spend hundreds of hours, over months or even years of our lives, sacrificing sleep and entertainment and time with loved ones, pouring our hearts and souls into a story that may never earn us more than spare change, may never be read outside a circle of our closest friends, may never amount to anything other than a file on our computer — and yet, we do it anyway. For the love of the story.

And then we get up the next day and do it again.

* This post is dedicated to Kimberly-Mermaid.

53 thoughts on “Beyond Talks with Imaginary People: Ten Reasons the Rest of the World Thinks Writers Are Crazy*”

  3. Are you trying to say I’m crazy?
    Well, guilty as charged. LOL!
    And don’t forget the conversations about dining on bugs.
    Fun post, Pintip.
    BTW, I think the world will be undoubtedly be reading your books. ::wink, wink::

    1. If you’re crazy, then I am, too, because we’re in this together, my friend! Which conversation about dining on bugs? Because we’ve had *lots* of them. My favorite is the one where we combined our two stories, and Brynn and Parker… ahem.

    1. Laura, you can always say you’re researching a future book. That may or may not ever be written. Lol.

  15. Pintip – these are fantastic! Love that you dedicated it to Kim! I prefer killing characters with guns – but that’s my preference.
    What’s really bad — is discussing sex scenes in B&N at critique group. Sometimes we forget to be quiet!

    1. Nan, I would love to be a fly-on-the-wall at your critique groups, just do I can see the passer-bys’ facial reactions! Thanks for stopping by…

  16. You’ve been adding adjectives to boost your daily word count, my dear CP??? That does it — I’m seriously adding adverbs to my count. Love this list, Pintip. So much truth in it. For me, anyway. I guess that makes me crazy! But in a good way, right?

    *Waving* to Kim!

    1. You got me, V. Guess I won’t be able to pull that particular trick anymore. 🙂 And yes, you are crazy, but in the most “awesome” way possible!

  20. What a fun post! I’m totally guilty of #7. Also, I carry on conversations with people who only exists in my mind. That’s not the troublesome part. The thing that gets me into trouble is that I’m the only one speaking out loud in those conversations. 🙂

    1. Lol, Asa. I’ve always heard that writers do that, but I never have. Sounds like I’m
      missing out!

    1. Or you could just add “very, very, very” 7k times! Then you’ll be completely caught up. Lol. Thanks for commenting.

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