Grrrrrrr. I really dislike the word hobby when I'm talking about my writing. To me, hobby doesn't enter into to it.
Writing is work, hard work. I consider it my night job and very much a career. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive, and I think the word didn't bother me nearly as much when I first started out, but now the word feels like fingers on a chalkboard.
So far I've smiled through gritted teeth on several occasions when someone says, "What a nice little hobby." Somehow the way they say it feels condescending, or maybe it's just the experience I've had so far with certain people.
One of these days, when I'm feeling terribly crabby and socially inept, some unsuspecting person just might get a tongue lashing, and I'm afraid he or she isn't going to see it coming.
What do you think? Does the word hobby bother you when it comes to your writing or does it drip off your shoulders as inconsequential?
Writing is work, hard work. I consider it my night job and very much a career. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive, and I think the word didn't bother me nearly as much when I first started out, but now the word feels like fingers on a chalkboard.
So far I've smiled through gritted teeth on several occasions when someone says, "What a nice little hobby." Somehow the way they say it feels condescending, or maybe it's just the experience I've had so far with certain people.
One of these days, when I'm feeling terribly crabby and socially inept, some unsuspecting person just might get a tongue lashing, and I'm afraid he or she isn't going to see it coming.
What do you think? Does the word hobby bother you when it comes to your writing or does it drip off your shoulders as inconsequential?
3 comments:
Hmm, what an interesting question. I've never had anyone call my writing a hobby but I imagine that before I was published it might have bothered me a little until I considered the source. If it was someone close to me I would educate them. If it was someone off the street I wouldn't much care because they aren't in my life. Ultimately, I think you project what you want people to know about you. Even before I was published, no one called my writing a hobby. Perhaps I'm not in a good position to offer insight. Good luck with however you choose to handle that particular situation. :-)
Some people think writing is just a hobby. How many writers have had someone say, "Since you're home all day, and you're not doing anything, would you...?" This request when the person knows you're a full-time writer!
So do you ignore them, confront them, try to educate them, or just bop them with your keyboard? Different strokes for different folks! 8-)
It's not a hobby with me - it's an addiction. *LOL* not to mention I'm making money at it now (okay, so most of that money is in non-fiction and not with my fiction - yet - I'm STILL a "real writer" as a friend pointed out.
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