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Explaining Yourself Isn’t Necessary
Sometimes a question answered still requires unnecessarily explaining yourself.
Every adult I know gets asked the following question:
What do you do for a living?
My answer to the question is,
I am a writer.
That’s my career choice. I write full-time.
No, that doesn’t mean I am writing from 9 am-5 pm, Monday through Friday. I am a writer means I’m also editing, plotting, and because I’m self-published marketing and exploring ways to increase sales.
Oh, and since I’ve decided to make my Forgotten Fodder series available as an audiobook, I’m also recording and editing that, too.
I don’t need to explain all the above to anyone else. However, many people react to my career statement with a visible pause.
I know what they are thinking if they don’t outright ask. Does that make you any money? Is that really a career option? I’ve never heard of you — are you for real? What does your family think of that choice? Are you insane? And similar.
I know full-well that I am a writer is not the only career statement that garners this response, or one akin to it. This applies to I am an artist, I’m a singer, I am an…