It’s one thing to come out and proclaim one is going to pursue a writing career in a blog, and entirely another to tell one’s colleagues at work. I started this blog as a means of documenting my journey as a writer. I hoped that, over time, I would develop an ‘audience’ here – a group of people interested in what I have to say, and the stories I write. It seems as though I am slowly succeeding on this front as I have a dedicated cheerleader who avidly gobbles up anything I compose, and there is even someone who has subscribed to my blog. A small audience, to be sure, but a very important one nonetheless.
While it is possible for billions of people across the globe to read my posts, the odds are very slim. My blog is averaging five or six visits per day (which is better than the zero or one I started with); well below superstar status. In addition, these people who come to my site are completely anonymous – if they don’t like what I write, or think I can’t write my way out of a paper bag, it’s no big deal, I just won’t see them here ever again.
Where am I going with this post? Well, talking about writing in my blog is fine, but it’s a little like pretending. If I want, I can just stop posting and slink away with little to no embarassment on my part. However, if I start to tell friends, family, and co-workers about my writing ambitions, that’s a different story. I can’t just stop seeing them if I fail. I can’t pretend I never said, “Oh, I sent a manuscript off to a publisher.” (I haven’t said that yet because it’s not ready to submit – don’t worry, you’ll be the first to hear about it when it happens!)
I have decided to be open about my writing ‘career’ with my colleagues at work, and I’ve done this for two main reasons. One, it’s an exciting journey for me and I want to share it with others as I go along (I guess it’s the storyteller in me coming out). And two, it forces my ambitions out from the ‘pretend’ pile and into the ‘realistic’ slush pile. If I tell people I’ve sent something off, then they are likely to ask me whatever happened. It may not be fun to say, “Oh, it got rejected – again,” but if I want them to share my journey, they deserve to see the ups and the downs.
As cool as it may be to fantasize about walking into my boss’ office and saying, “I quit. I’ve just signed a $20 million three-book deal. I know I never mentioned it before, but I’m a bestselling author,” it’s really rather unrealistic. I would rather have my colleagues cheering for me than stunned, and they won’t be cheering if they haven’t sympathized with me along the way.
It was a bit scary, but I’ve started telling people at work what I’ve been up to. Now I just have to work my tail off to see that something comes of it. I don’t want to be known as the woman who gave up too easily. I want my colleagues to be able to say, “Hey, I knew her before she became a famous writer,” or “I used to work with her. I got to watch her writing grow and develop over the years,” or even, “I work with her! Yes, I can get you an autograph!”
The cat, for what she’s worth, is out of the bag.
From beyond the keyboard,
Cheryl.
cherylangst@gmail.com
