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/lit/ - Literature

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19677047 No.19677047 [Reply] [Original]

How do I tell my parents I want to be a writer?

>> No.19677060
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19677060

>>19677047
You kill yourself after they call you retarded and force you to get a real job

>> No.19677062

Tell them you're gay or want to troon out, then tell them you were playing with them and you just want to be a writer.

>> No.19677122

>>19677047
"I'm gay and retarded"

>> No.19677127

>>19677047
write it down

>> No.19677130

>>19677047
forthrightly

>> No.19677175

>>19677047
Don’t tell anyone, just start writing

>> No.19677220

You don't. The first step in being a good writer is being self-aware enough to know that it's as embarrassing as a heroin addiction, and that if anyone knew they'd laugh in your face (unless you are from a family of rich jews/literati who can get you a career but that's not you.) You only tell people you ever considered putting words to page after you are a bestseller, otherwise you shut the fuck up forever.

t. midlist failure from the early 2000s

>> No.19677227

>>19677047
Getting published

>> No.19677241

>>19677220
Pretty much my plan. I only told one girl I was working on a novel when I was drunk.

>> No.19677246

Actions speak louder than words. Do not tell them you want to be a writer, instead you actually become one.

>> No.19677247

>>19677062
/thread

>> No.19677261

>>19677062
The lesser evil tactic. Nice.

>> No.19677268

>>19677241
well you have a better chance of being a pro athlete than a full time novelist as the meme goes, so it's baffling to me that so many people think "writing" is a "job". it's not a job, just like being a youtuber isn't a job. you make the content and hope for the best, but the odds of success are so low that you shouldn't even consider them. why do so many people think they have a chance. they don't. the only people who get rich off this shit are the lucky ones who are promoted by tastemakers, who usually have connections. you have no chance. you have NO chance, less than a chance, a gnat's fart of a chance, why does anyone consider writing more applicable to them than being an NFL quarterback?

well, i'm drunk too but that is my rant.

>> No.19677323

>>19677047
If you're a full time writer, chances are, you'd spend most of your life as a broke man

Get a stable job. Then write on the side. You'll have the money to travel to foreign places for research

>> No.19677343

>>19677268
Yea, many of the writers I like had another job on the side.
>why does anyone consider writing more applicable to them than being an NFL quarterback?
Well, not everyone is a 7 foot tall nigger with huge arms and back. From what I can see, there's a bigger change of getting published than becoming an NFL player.

>> No.19677365

>>19677343
published, yes? anybody can do that. successful? lel, there are literally more pro athletes throughout all the sports than career novelists.

>> No.19677433

>>19677220

This. Please, don't, just fucking don't.

I wrote a piece with 800+ pages for a fellowship program. Literally reading obscure books with 1 or 0 reviews on amazon, sometimes not even available, only excerpts from shady sources.. man. Honestly...
If you are doing some kind of rigorous program like that, do know that the only kind of people who will notice your work are the ones close to you (which is already worthless).
Unless you get published, and even then your stuff needs to get attention.
Already pirate your own content if possible because people are going to pirate anyway, if it is something worth to be pirate, not even worth, if it gains some attention, hell, why the fuck do you want to be a writer ?

You will lose a lot of the enjoyment of 'reading for fun' too.

>> No.19677437

>>19677047

write them something?

>> No.19677449

>>19677047
Introduce them to your publisher at a nice dinner

>> No.19677455

>>19677047
First tell them you’re trans.
Then when they’re in peak meltdown, tell them you aren’t and you just want to be a writer, and you wanted to give them some perspective first.

>> No.19677467 [DELETED] 

>>19677433
>You will lose a lot of the enjoyment of 'reading for fun' too.

This is brutal.

>> No.19677479

>>19677365
Depends what you mean by successful. Critically successful? Artistically successful? Commercially successful?

>> No.19677494

>>19677479
i meant primarily making a living, even if it's a shitty one which you STILL won't muster. the critical part is irrelevant, if you still take that seriously in 2022 it's over for you anyway. as for artistic, well that's so subjective that i could say my garbage novels from 10+ years ago are "artistic successes" if i want.

>> No.19677538

>>19677047
tell them u are:
>poor
>on drugs
>never leaves the house
>is over drinking but will relapse next week
>on the verge of dying but never dies

and they will fully understand trust me anon

>> No.19677545

You know a good way to tell them would be to hand them your first published book.

>> No.19677549

>>19677494
>he critical part is irrelevant, if you still take that seriously in 2022 it's over for you anyway.
most people here want to be told they're good writers, while others favor money. really depends on one's priorities
>well that's so subjective that i could say my garbage novels from 10+ years ago are "artistic successes" if i want.
But do you genuinely feel that? That's the difference.

>> No.19677561

>>19677220
Pretty much my approach. I've heard Steven Wright say the same about his ambition to become a comedian.

>> No.19677608

show them one of your books

>> No.19677609

>>19677549
>But do you genuinely feel that? That's the difference.

yes and no, the same as anyone can ever say :^)

>> No.19677852
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19677852

>>19677220
If the Shitkickers loser can survive and even get laid while being an abject failure, you are certain to find more success!

Don't listen to this crabs-in-the-bucket anon, you can do anything you set your mind to.

>> No.19677893

>>19677047
You don't. You just write on the side. You Publish, and if successful, then tell them later. And this goes with anything you're doing on the side, not just writing.

>> No.19678032

>>19677365
>there are literally more pro athletes throughout all the sports than career novelists
There are also more people who tried to be a sportsman than writers. There are a thousand times more people who like playing a sport than writing
It's like saying being a successful actor is easy because you know many actors

>> No.19678115

>>19677047
Show them an example of your writing.

>> No.19678204

let them run into your self-published mostly unsuccesful novel by chance 8 years later and have them call you worriedly asking why you don't keep contact very often

>> No.19679724

>>19677047
You don't, careerdom is the death of writing. Get a real job and write on the side, you'll be more likely to lay down something of worth that way.

>> No.19679735

If your parents are genuinely concerned for your future then you should accept their guidance. My dad was impressed when I said that I wanted to be a writer, and made no effort to dissuade me even though it is not a practical goal for a teenager to aspire to, at all.

I was 16 then and I am 31 now and I have spent most of my life living in poverty and squalor. I have lots of great material and I have developed a unique style and a level of focus and discipline that I am positive will lead to at least moderate success. But I abandoned this dream for ten years and wandered aimlessly with no forward progress and no guarantee that I would amount to anything, to get to that point. No family, no career, no retirement plan and dwindling options for all of those things. I was too young to care about any of that when I decided that I would accept nothing less than my chief ambition and skipped out on coming to terms with reality. Old age is no longer some distant nightmare, but comfortable mediocrity is a dream long since dead.

>> No.19679756

>>19679735
so what's in the horizon for you, buddy?

>> No.19679829

>>19679735
I can tell you've lived your words. Thank you for sharing them. I have had a different path, but one that's led me to some similar thoughts.

I'm 58. I spent over thirty years, writing and managing software projects that other people generally didn't use well (or mishandled while developing). It was frustrating, but they paid the bills, so there wasn't anything I could do about it.

Since leaving my last job, I started to look for another, and immediately, and with extreme prejudice, slammed into the notorious ageism in tech. It was a real shock, as I had always been treated with a fair degree of respect. That is no longer the case. Respect seems to be a virtue that no one practices, anymore (I'm not talking about "worship." I'm talking about simple, basic, courtesy and respect; like I give to others).

I had saved up a fairly substantial war chest, so I just decided to give up on looking for work. One of the nice things that has come out of being forced into early retirement, is returning to my roots as a writer; telling stories, be it via short story, novella, or even a novel.

I have been interested in professional writing since my daughter's birth, in 1987 (I can prove it, because I still have the poem I sent for publication). I've started and stopped working on various novels for decades, and I believe that a long-term, holistic, strategic approach is how I need to proceed. You'll note that a strategic approach generally involves a great deal of compromise.

But I really like writing stories that individual people (as opposed to institutions, or other programs) value. My writing does tend to be somewhat more ambitious than your run-of-the-mill attempt at "literature", but it is still the kind of thing that lots of /lit/ folks like to sneer at. Sneed away, if that makes you feel good. People seem to like the stuff I write, and that makes me feel good.

>> No.19679844

>>19677549
He meant that critics don't matter anymore because they will only praise your work if your a minority or a transfaggot author

>> No.19679850

>>19679829
>My writing does tend to be somewhat more ambitious than your run-of-the-mill attempt at "literature"
how so?

>> No.19679918

>>19679850
People pay for dross, and writers will build their career around writing and publishing dross.
For myself, I am totally focused on writing ultra-high-Quality prose. It’s difficult, frustrating, time-consuming, and very, very rewarding (but mostly on an emotional level).
I work for free. Honestly, I can’t see publishers paying the very substantial premium required to publish literature at the Quality bar that I set. It’s orders of magnitude costlier than junk-grade NYT bestsellers. Just yesterday, I spent almost all day, “tuning” a dialogue to close a chapter within a 1-word tolerance. It required that I rip out almost all my previous work, and completely reorganize my fundamental story structure.
I can think of no publisher or editor that would tolerate that kind of anal-retentive level of detail. I would have been forced to ship the crap I had written the day before. People really, really like reading my prose, but they also don’t pay for it.

>> No.19680048

>>19679918
You sounds completely up your own ass. I'm not one of those /lit/ blokes who shits on other writers, but my God man, You're just praising your own shit.
In no way am I saying being published or having a bestseller is analogous with being good, but to just dismiss everything that finds more success than your writing as 'unambitious dross' is so narrow its revolting.
>People really, really like reading my prose
James fucking Joyce would blush at how pretentious you sound. I can't imagine your lack of self awareness doesn't permeate your creative writing but I guess I should reserve judgment.

Just hang a lampshade on any criticism and convince yourself it's all from the greasy keyboards of bitter Sneedposters so you can keep living your delusions unexamined.

>> No.19680065

>open with "Mom, Xer..." (i assume youre a gayboy and your parents are troons)

>> No.19680106

>>19680048
I thought we didn't post personal attacks on 4chan. That was uncalled-for.
Any particular reason for the nasty? I seriously thought we didn't do that kind of thing, around these parts, but I'm often wrong.
I mean wow, any particular reason for the insult? I don't remember saying anything bad about you.
Maybe, we could have found more in common than you may think. We both seem to be passionate about the same kind of stuff.
I was under the impression that we should make an effort to be a wee bit more respectful with each other, than we might in venues like Reddit or Twitter (where they have the "digital sneed" down to a science).
Yours is the only response I've ever gotten that was so malicious.
I check my posts every which way from Sunday, and I never had anyone respond to me the way you just did. I was wondering if you may have been mixed up.
Otherwise, there's nothing I can do about it.
I pretty much always take criticism well, but sometimes, I may need a moment. I've been writing for years, and have published a bunch of books. I do tend to be conservative, and reduce the amount of words wherever possible. I eat my own dog food, and am the only avid reader (that I know of) of my novels. My stories tend to be short.
Nonetheless, thanks for the insult. I really enjoyed that. You're a great writer. You say a lot, without getting prolix (unlike Yours Truly). I appreciate the feedback.
I'll do me. You do you.
Have a nice day.

>> No.19680242

>>19679829
>>19679918
>People really, really like reading my prose, but they also don’t pay for it.
Post some

>> No.19680358

>>19677268
Pro athlete here. List to this fellow.

>> No.19680372

>>19679829
I still don't know why so many people argue that ageism isn't real.
>I know someone who is 100 and he just did X
Fucking normies. Always picking the exception of an exception to proof their points.

>> No.19680385

>>19677047
by getting published? uh, duh? also, please never let them read your writing

>> No.19680409
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19680409

Mom yelled at me when I said I was considering getting a job. She said she'd kick me out if I gave up my writing ambitions.

>> No.19680645

>>19677047
Write a good book that gets published.
Before that you shouldn't bother telling anyone.

>> No.19680656

>>19680409
Your mum sounds based. You need people around you that are supportive of your dreams.

>> No.19680681

>>19677268
>the only people who get rich
Bugman detected. Getting rich isn't the cosmic goal of life. You can be a human being without devoting your entire existence to accumulating wealth. I personally work a dead-end job that takes very little from me, to the point where I don't care if I work it for the rest of my life. It lets me write as much as I want to. In many ways, I'd actually prefer it if I died completely unknown and poor. I want absolutely nothing to do with the rich and "high society." I say this as an innately charismatic, white man with more than enough brains and—probably more importantly—ruthlessness to thrive in the rat race.

Life can be more than just the sum of your economic output. Your worth as a human being can be more than just the status rewarded to you by arbitrarily-valued contributions to the postmodern morass which characterizes contemporary econo-society.

>> No.19680698

>>19677062
>>19677122
>I'm gay and retarded
>jk I'm just retarded

>> No.19680751

>>19680681
>I personally work a dead-end job that takes very little from me
What would this be, in particular? Currently my plan is to be a nighttime security guard once I finish up my useless degree, but it's always good to see what options are out there.

>> No.19681629

>>19677047
Cook breakfast for them then break the news .

>> No.19682394

>>19677062
Lol

>> No.19682454

>>19680106
NTA

Yea, there was no real need for him to call you out like that. However, your post did come across as a fella tooting his own trumpet, which certain types of people react very viscerally to. There's a fine line to walk between humility and confidence. Don't pay them any mind, though, anon.

>> No.19682944

>told my family i want to be a writer and have been writing novels
>they dont even respond
>move to the other side of the country and ghost them, continue writing
>getting really, really good, will be published
>also have a successful relationship and a job, though
>crab family doesnt get to know anything about me now

>> No.19682960

>>19677047
Whatever you do, don't. Worst mistake you can make. Toil in the shadow and wait until their disapproving looks and attitudes die with their mortal bodies. Then publish free of their judgements. Thats my plan.

>> No.19682967

Mime it

>> No.19682971

The same way you told them you are a homosexual. :^)

>> No.19682994

>>19682944
I'm sorry, anon. There really ain't nothing like family, is there? I would encourage you to keep in touch, however much better you think you're off without them.

>> No.19683033

>>19682944
That's sad

>> No.19683051

>>19682944
Well crabs don't have much use for novels so I can't say blame them.

>> No.19683173

>>19682994
>>19683033
>>19683051
/lit/ is my family now. i love you, anon.

>> No.19683261

>>19682944
Happens more often than one might think.
t. starting over

>> No.19683325

>>19677047
This >>19677220

And this goes for any type of art, don't tell anyone what you're doing because they will laugh at you or tell you to stop wasting your time or maybe they'll support you but think to themselves that you're a faggot who's never going to make it
Don't tell anyone until you do it and it's a success or a moderate success, then you can tell people and they will just have to accept that you made it

Obviously this goes for men only, women can say that they want to be an artist to attract attention and everyone will support them no matter what, also works if you're rich or come from a family of movie producers or writers or whatever

>> No.19683877

>>19683325
>don't tell anyone what you're doing because they will laugh at you or tell you to stop wasting your time
tfw
why is this world so horrible

>> No.19684047

>>19677047
Just write and then tell them after you're published

>> No.19684070

>>19680698
Kek

>> No.19684224

>>19683877
Being an artist or wanting to be an artist has always been seen as the ultimate "wtf r u doing with your life?"
Most people think it's a career choice with very little success chances and no monetary gain, that it requires way too much luck or connections or something

The irony is that if you do "make it" then it can be a very profitable career, considering art/entertainment is very valuable, while at the same time most people get discouraged when pursuing it

>> No.19684238

Tell them that you caught HIV because you were using dirty needles while injecting cialis right into your penis before you had sex with drifters, and that you've been going around the house at night inseminating all the food and their toothpastes and shampoos and enemas with your bodily fluids.

Then just say, "Ahh....i'm just fucking with you! No, no, seriously, i'm just going to pretend to be a writing while living with you guys for the next 40 years, not working, and never actually producing anything."

>> No.19684255

>>19682454
Thanks anon, I appreciate the feedback. I was overreacting here; my apologies for being prickly.

>> No.19684332

>>19680242
Here's something I just wrote about what happened to me in this thread:

A man walks into a building, is immediately beaten badly by another man, and thrown out into the street.

They get up, dust themselves off, put up their fists, and walk back in.

Same thing happens.

This is repeated a number of times.

Then, one time, they walk into the building, and the other man is no longer there.

So they go looking for them.

>> No.19684344

>>19677047
Don't tell your parents anything or they will talk about you to other people.
>oh yes our son is a writer, go ahead and tell them what you're working on

>> No.19684429

>>19684344
>or they will talk about you to other people.
my fucking parents did this and betrayed anything i told them to everyone. then wonder why i started to never tell them anything. god i want to put a brick through their faces.