September Theme: Misconceptions others have about writing.

By Lucy Jones

(Scroll down for a competition to win The Nightmare Factory plus the new sequel, Rise of The Shadowmares!)

All careers have misconceptions attached to them and writing is no exception. I'm sure a lot of authors will be very familiar with this kind of conversation (when meeting someone new):

So you’re an author? *suspicious face* Are you actually published?
Yep, although it took a very long time and a lot of rejections to get to this place.
*Impressed face* Wow, so your books are like, in book stores and everything? And people actually buy them? What kind of books do you write?
Children’s books.
Oh...
*pause*
Are you as rich as J K Rowling?
I wish!!! :P
Are you friends with J K Rowling?
 No.
Can I have your autograph so that when you become as big as J K Rowling I can sell it on ebay?
Errmmm, sure...
I wish I could sleep in all day and then just write when I feel like it.
That’s not all I do. Half my day is spent emailing people and then I have school visits to plan, bookstore events, blogging, twittering, updating my website...
Yeah, but come on, you write children’s books. It’s not exactly hard is it?
*bangs head against table and sighs...*

So tell me, what is the biggest misconceptions you've come across when telling others that you write?

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