that question.

It's that question I dread. "So--what's your novel about?" It's a huge problem when you write litfic. "Oh, it's about a relationship where two people bear witness to each other's self destruction." "It's a novel analysing the different impacts of similar events, and how we're drawn to those who have experiences similar to our own." My mother (my actual-gave-birth-to-me-mother) worries about what people will think of her if they read my novels. Thanks, mum.

Writing is about the most vulnerable parts of who you are. Each word on that word processor (or paper, if you're more awesome than I am) is you. And I don't think that I'm ready for criticism about that yet. (Nor is my manuscript ready--the first draft is almost complete. It's a matter of completing all the missing scenes and then sitting down and rewriting them all and fixing plot arcs and oh my god I'm going to die.)

I did tell my classmates the other day vaguely what one of my novels was about, only to tell them that they couldn't read it quite yet. But it's nice having people around that encourage you to write. Who believe in you. And I don't think that I could do this without them. So, for everyone who supports a writer, this is for you. (virtual champagne toasting here.)