Please donate if you can – I am hoping The Timely Death Trilogy can get new covers so that they can appeal to new audiences! You will also receive a personalized picture of Bogart the cat, and I will mention you right here on ShannonAThompson.com if you want your website shared. :] Just click the link and check your email! Thank you so much for your continuous support!
#WW: The Greatest Conversation All Authors Have
I don’t go out in public often. I like to believe this isn’t uncommon in the world of authorship. Even if authors have free time, it generally becomes devoted to typing away fantasies on our laptops. Because of this, I am home. A lot. Or in a café. By myself. (Free Wi-Fi, right?)
But every now and then, a friend is having a going away party or a birthday party or a graduation party or some other kind of get-together celebration I find myself attending. And yes, I’m the cliché chick in the corner, not talking to anyone, who oddly attracts someone’s curious attention as to why I’m standing in the corner. “People watching” is my go-to answer, but eventually, the question “what do you do?” comes up, and all hell breaks lose.
Yes. Yes. I’m an author. Now, let’s chat about it.
When you say, “That should be your next book.”
This sentence generally comes up when you’ve heard an interesting story – possibly on the news, from a friend, or…in a book. The fact that it already exists should hint that I can’t write it, but I’ll probably just say, “Yeah.”
When you continue with, “I should be in that book – your next book, right?”
No. Please, no. I’ll only offend you – either by detailed descriptions or impending doom. That’s honestly the only thing I could do with you (probably because I just met you, so I don’t know enough to truly base a character off of you, even if I wanted to). But I’ll probably just say, “If you don’t mind dying.” Sometimes – and these moments are rare due to my collection of odd character names – I already have a novel with your name in it.
That’s when you ask, “You already have a character in your book named after me?”
Well, no. Not technically. You two share the same name. Kind of like the barista that shares your mother’s name on her nametag. Doesn’t mean they’re the same person. Or based off of one another. It just means Laura was a popular name that summer.
When you ask, “Do I die?”
::sigh:: Again, the character is not you. They’re not based on you. They…Never mind. I’ll say, “Probably.”
When you reply, “You suck.” Followed by sarcastic laughter.
I say, “I know.” Followed by sarcastic laughter.
When you continue with, “Why do authors always have to kill off characters? And it’s always my favorite characters, too. I mean, they kill villains all the time, but I kind of like the villains…”
I might cut you off because I love, love, love talking about my undying love for villains, but if I fail – which I probably will – I’ll probably just nod in agreement. Authors know they’re terrible. We create imaginary friends for you to love and cherish, only to take them away. But it’s necessary. If nothing happened to any of the characters, then…well, you wouldn’t have a bunch of stories to talk about. Libraries would be collections of happy, non-dramatic anthologies of extraneous giddiness.
In the end, when you say, “This has been an awesome conversation.”
You know what? It has been. Thanks for chatting with me. Even if I held back, it was mainly out of my own…well, chaotic confusion I’ve built up in my own mind. You probably wouldn’t have been offended if I killed your character off, but I came up with that scenario because…well, authors spend a lot of time in their own heads imagining the next scene. This often bleeds over into real life, which causes those awkward pauses I’m extremely sorry for. I’m simply thinking too much. But if it’s any compensation, I was probably concocting my next novel from whatever you just said – so, in a way, you are in my next book.
Thanks for talking with me.
I mean it.
~SAT
Please donate if you can – I am hoping The Timely Death Trilogy can get new covers so that they can appeal to new audiences! You will also receive a personalized picture of Bogart the cat, and I will mention you right here on ShannonAThompson.com if you want your website shared. :] Just click the link and check your email! Thank you so much for your continuous support!
Shannon A. Thompson 
Great post Shannon. Yes, yes and yes again. I do feel just like you’ve described. Since I started writing I prefer my own company so I can just write and write and write. Find it so frustrating when I have to go out somewhere, knowing its taking up my time with my characters. So I can relate to all you have just said.
Unfortunately I’m unable to donate at this time having just invested all our savings into buying our first home and sadly my hubby has just been made redundant too. Bad timing but we just have to keep hoping that this closed door will lead to another open door with a brighter future.
I wish you every success in all you do this new year.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! I thought it was time for a little fun on here. No worries about the donation! :] I completely understand.
~SAT
Shannon, you should write comedy! This is GOLD!
Haha :] Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed it so much.
~SAT
I never know how to respond to those questions. Thankfully, many people walk away or talk about Tolkien the moment I say ‘I write fantasy’. So I get to quickly grab some snacks and wander back to my corner while wishing the host had available wifi.
Haha love that! I can relate to that. It’s funny to test the different way people respond. If I say, “paranormal” – vampires immediately come up. If I say, “dystopian” – we all know about The Hunger Games (whatever happened to 1984? It’s almost as if no one remembers dystopian has been around for ages). And if I say fantasy – they immediately think Game of Thrones.
~SAT
Good points. It seems people always ask if a book is like the popular one if that genre. I get LOTR/Hobbit and Game of Thrones all the time. Then people get confused if you say no.
I wonder if it’s because T.V. works that way – Like when “Twilight” came out, “True Blood” and “Vampire Diaries” followed almost immediately. Maybe people have learned that when one thing gets popular, entertainment only releases the same thing over and over until the next big thing comes along.
~SAT
Sadly that’s not far from the truth. Companies see a hit and run it so far into the ground that you’d need an archaeologist to find it.
Thankfully, I can still say I work in IT. That really dials down the need for a conversation. Sometimes I just want to eat my finger foods in peace.
Finger foods demand peace. :]
~SAT
Especially the BBQ lil’ smokies
OMG If it wasn’t 11 a.m. here, I might just make those.
~SAT
Hey, I consider them an all-day food item, like bacon, ice cream or pizza. I say go for it!
Oh, the dangerous idea this is. It’s going to make me procrastinate my entire afternoon away. lol
~SAT
If you plan to procrastinate, is that like an oxymoron? Or are you fulfilling your agenda? Either way, win/win
I think how you think.
~SAT
Geniuses tend to think alike 😉
Maybe you could come up with an “elevator pitch” so that you have a ready response any time a new person asks about your books. “Yes, my book is…” And if you’re really enthusiastic they’ll think you want them to buy one instead of just comment on it… and they’ll slink away, leaving you to people-watch in peace!
haha! Now, that is a good plan. I do have an elevator speech, and I do use it, but I think – sometimes – I just don’t want to talk about it. Maybe that is strange, but I think it’s just like any other person not wanting to talk about any number of topics at any particular time. But that is a great idea to benefit from. :]
~SAT
My ex-husband always thought he was the hero in my stories:) This was very funny!
That is great! 😀
~SAT
What size donation do you need?
Oh, please do not worry about it. I actually found out some exciting news that I will announce on February 11. :] But thank you for asking.
~SAT
I’ll keep a look out for that
Of all I can, I can donate you 50% discount card for one of your book cover, with our book cover service. I would have done more, if I could. If you’d like, I can give 50% discount on all of your book covers.
You’re, literally, my inspiration. ❤
Stay blessed. 🙂
If you’d like to know more, you can visit this . 🙂
Thank you so much for your incredible offer! I found out some exciting news though that is going to help me with it, and I will announce it on February 11, but I truly appreciate this so much. You are very kind. ❤
~SAT
Yeah, I saw that status on Facebook. I’m excited for Feb 11 😀
😀 Me, too.
~SAT
DH puts the people that asks to be in his story in…then promptly kills them off. He tells them this though, so they have no right to be mad. lol
Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.