Tuesday 12 May 2009

Do I believe my ears?

I was browsing shelves of books at lunchtime when I overheard the conversation of the two women standing nearby doing just what I was doing. I swear this is true.
Woman # 1: "I think I'll write a book."
Woman # 2: "You should. You were always good at English."
Woman # 1: (nodding) "Yes I'm going to."
Woman # 2: "You'll need to get one of those whatsits before you start. Oh what do you call them?" (pause while she thinks and her friend looks at her) Agents! That's it. You should get an agent.
I thought about laughing (to myself of course) but I decided not to. She's probably one of those people who decides that they are going to be a novelist and it happens without much apparent effort.
Sorry, didn't mean to sound bitter.

8 comments:

Karen said...

*shakes head in despair* If only t'were that easy! She'll learn ...

Anonymous said...

It's funny how you never hear those kinds of people say "I think I'll be a gymnast", isn't it?

Pat Posner said...

That made me laugh, Gonna Be.
Some people really do think it's 'that' easy, don't they!

Colette McCormick said...

I shook my head too Karen.
How true Captain. I personally have never heard anyone say that they are going to be a gymnast.
You are so right Pat. I honestly believe that some people think that you decide to write a book and you can - without any trouble.

Annie Wicking said...

Oh thank you for sharing that with us,GBW. Now I know where I went wrong! I started backwards, silly me I needed the agent first not the book.
That woman is so lucky to have such clever friends. Don't you just wish you had one like that instead of us lot...lol

Colette McCormick said...

Trust me Annie, I wouldn't swap you. But clearly we have gone about it the wrong way. I'm sure that agents would have been fighting for us without us even writing a word. Now they've seen a word or thousand... And apparently all it takes to be a bestselling authour is to be "good at English." The mind boggles.

Sheila Norton said...

Oh, dear, why DO people think they can just decide to write a book, as if it's the easiest thing in the world!! It annoys me most when people who are famous for something else - eg footballers or politicians (!) give up their careers when they've made their fortunes and then announce they're going to write a book! So when I retire from being a writer (as if I ever would!), do I announce that I'm now going to be a footballer? Ha! I know what you mean about not wanting to sound bitter, Gonna Be - but sometimes it's hard not to, isn't it!

Colette McCormick said...

I like the notion of you being a footballer when you retire from writing Olivia. What annoys me is a celebrity who has "written" 3 autobiographies by the time they are 25. That must be some life!!!