My book? Don't ask.

August 7, 2008 4:22 PM

Last October I left a great full-time job, ostensibly to write a novel. Now it's a year later and, for a variety of reasons all having to do with me, there's no novel and chances are slim that there's going to be one. I'll have to go back to work eventually. When coworkers ask me how the book is going, what do I tell them to save the greatest amount of face?

In my own defense, I've sold two short stories, and have three others making the rounds. But writing a whole book? Honestly, I don't know any more if I've got it in me.

posted by Work to Live to work & money (24 comments total)

"I've put it to sleep for a while."
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:28 PM on August 7, 2008

I started writing the novel and it turned into several short stories rather than a novel. Creative process, ya know?
posted by bananafish at 4:32 PM on August 7, 2008 [5 favorites]

"Well, after I sold two short stories, I felt a bit spent, and wanted to take a breather. When my creative juices recharge, I'll give it another go. Thanks for asking. How's life been for you?"
posted by SeizeTheDay at 4:33 PM on August 7, 2008 [2 favorites]

You had a dream. You tried it out and met with some success. That's more than most people can say and something to be proud of, not to dismiss. The glass is half full.
posted by doctor_negative at 4:36 PM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

First, I think most people, honestly, are pretty impressed with people who actually make a go at things like this, even if it doesn't end up turning out. Many people are sitting in their cubicles day in and out wishing they had the guts to try something like this, and won't see it as a failure that you gave it a shot. I know I wouldn't, anyway.

That said, perhaps something along the lines of it still being a work in progress? Or I might say something about it's taking a bit more work than I thought it would originally, and I'm unsure when it's going to get done. People probably won't press the issue too much.
posted by SpacemanStix at 4:37 PM on August 7, 2008

And bananafish's suggestion is a great one.
posted by SpacemanStix at 4:39 PM on August 7, 2008

You don't have to give any details at all. Just say that you enjoyed the time writing but for other reasons (they can fill in the gory bits, financial, etc) you had to go back to work.

Congratulations on selling two stories! That is seriously awesome. It's okay to be a short story writer, too, you know. Some people aren't novelists and that is not a moral failing. Your process is your process.
posted by sugarfish at 4:40 PM on August 7, 2008

"Oh... you know how it is." That will shut them up, because they don't!
posted by staggernation at 4:46 PM on August 7, 2008

Honesty is the answer. "The farther I get into this project, the more I realize a novel is not for me. I enjoy writing short stories more."

Congrats on the short stories!
posted by LoriFLA at 4:47 PM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

What bananafish said.

You accomplished a lot. You did find (limited) success as a writer. You learned that maybe writing novels is not your calling. You tried something totally new and different, survived, and even made some money from it. More than most can say.

So just tell them it didn't turn out quite like you'd expected. That you sold a few short stories, but the novel thing just didn't work out.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 4:52 PM on August 7, 2008

Why not tell them what you've told us?

"I've sold two short stories, and have three others making the rounds."

Or, you could add to bananafish's suggestion. Something like this: "I started writing the novel, but it turned into several short stories instead. Creative process, ya know? I've sold two, and have three others making the rounds."

P.S. Congrats on selling your short stories!
posted by 2oh1 at 4:56 PM on August 7, 2008

Story of my life. I think you just say you finished and sold some stories, put the novel on temporary hold, and needed to return to work for a steady paycheck. Anyone for whom that answer is not sufficient is probably being nosy and needs to mind their own business.
posted by ornate insect at 4:57 PM on August 7, 2008

Whose face needs saving? Not yours, surely? You had the nerve to commit to something you wanted to do (writing) and produced several short stories. Don't forget nothing is wasted. You never know what you'll be doing in a few years, so maybe the novel is just on hold. To quote Alexander Graham Bell:

“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us”.
posted by the-happy-manager at 5:03 PM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

Nthing honesty. I've totally been there, and fudging the truth will just make you feel like a grin-faced party cadre massaging annual wheat yields to keep the higher-ups off your back. In the end, it'll contribute to feelings of guilt and loneliness.

If you feel disappointed, be honest. You have no reason to be ashamed, even if you spent the entire year in a quarter-filled tin bath eating bars of butter straight out the wrapper. You're having a go. Taking a risk entails the possibility of failure at the goal you originally set out to achieve. So what? Just keep plugging away, chunk your goals down into ever-smaller increments, and hold your head up high. Also nthing the kudos for selling your short stories. Baby steps, remember!
posted by RokkitNite at 5:04 PM on August 7, 2008

I had a boss who did this, and he just returned to work and said it was harder than he expected. Nobody thought any the less of him. He was very nice to me when I left to try my hand at becoming a screenwriter, and ultimately made the switch.
posted by unSane at 5:12 PM on August 7, 2008

to save the greatest amount of face?

Fess up. Always. Coverups are for wimps.
posted by flabdablet at 6:06 PM on August 7, 2008

IMO - The most amount of 'face' to be gained is by being honest.

It didn't happen- that's OK.
posted by mattoxic at 6:28 PM on August 7, 2008

There is no need to defend yourself. People either understand the writing process or they don't. "I'm still figuring it out" is a perfectly fine answer. They're likely often asking out of politeness, anyway; the issue of "productivity" is quite likely bigger in your head than it is in theirs.

Now, if I could only listen to my own advice...
posted by Morpeth at 6:43 PM on August 7, 2008

I would respect you more if you told the truth.
posted by Ookseer at 9:29 PM on August 7, 2008

A lot of this is how you approach and present it. If you feel genuinely ashamed that you weren't able to get your novel written, and present it that way, people react accordingly. From the feedback here, I think it is clear that most people will find it pretty cool that you took a risk like this and ended up actually meeting with some success. Hey, I would love to get some short stories published! Come to terms with the path you took, and when they ask you, you can answer without remorse.
posted by sophist at 10:30 PM on August 7, 2008

Jonathan Safran Foer: It’s been an awfully long time since we last spoke. Four years? And it’s been a long time since the reading world last got new material from you. About seven years? What’s been going on?

Jeffrey Eugenides: I’ve been writing a book.
posted by salvia at 10:57 PM on August 7, 2008 [1 favorite]

I think you might be over-estimating how judgmental your co-workers are going to be. Sure, they'll ask about the book, but that seems to be a natural question to ask when someone took a leave of absense to work on a book. They're not going to be grilling you, they just want to know how your year off was (and are probably imagining if they could do the same thing!) No need to worry about saving face.
posted by kamelhoecker at 7:41 AM on August 8, 2008

I think if there's one thing people universally understand it's the struggle to get what you really want. It's a constant process and it isn't easy for anyone. I think people respect the effort and envy anyone pursuing their dream.
Maybe you just spent a year fermenting the ideas that will spill out later in one massive rush and surprise the hell out of you. It happens. No need to write yourself off or feel ashamed because these things take their own pace. You've sold stories, you're a writer. But nobody else is putting as much pressure on you to write this novel as you are.
posted by dosterm at 8:54 AM on August 8, 2008

Thanks for all the responses. Yes, I am/was anticipating being judged harshly for what feels like a failure at the moment. I appreciate your suggestions and will use parts of all of them to respond honestly when I'm asked.
posted by Work to Live at 10:20 AM on August 8, 2008