Friendly Writer

Writers can be suspicious people.  I am related to a somewhat famous author.  He won’t talk about writing and never offers to give any help.  I figured it was just a personality trait.

You see, I’m a pretty open and honest guy.  Well, as much as a writer can be.  I’m glad to talk about writing and share the paltry bit I know.  Thus I started this blog.  I’m finding that not many others share this trait with me.

I knew an editor who was younger than me.  I’m not exactly wet behind the ears, I have to admit.  So this younger editor was, I suppose, a little suspicious of this older guy who contacted him out of the blue.  Still, he took my card and said he’d be in touch.

Deep down I suspected he might be a writer.  I have no idea what he thought of me.  After he left his company to go off on his own, I contacted him and asked if he’d like to talk about writing.  Silence.  Not a word.

You have to understand that I’m an introvert.  Pushy is about the last adjective anyone could ever pin to my lapel.

I doubt I'll reveal too much if I say I was once a teacher.  Once a teacher, always a learner.  Teachers—good teachers—know that you need to show someone how to do something.  Editors are often poor teachers.  They find a one-line rejection more "efficient" than helping a promising writer along.  Sometimes they even charge for feedback.

So my colleague the editor does not wish to discuss writing.  This I find odd, as writing is wanting to be heard by someone else.  Is a voluntary listener too eager?

Like many born writers, I can adapt to the needs of the moment.  Like Holden I can be descriptive as hell.  Like Ulysses, I can be a minimalist.  Tell me what you want.  Tell me who I am.

The greatest irony is writers who won't talk.  Nobody comments on this blog.  I dwell in the house of irony.  Alone.