Writers aren't that difficult to deal with, are they?

From The Writers Group facebook page.

Twice in past week or so posts have shown up on facebook listing questions or statements not to make to writers. Both lists ring true. I've heard several of them myself and I'm pretty sure the others are valid; at least if I heard them I know I wouldn't like it.

There are two I would add, at least that's all I thought of right now. The statements came from a publisher who ought to know better. The first should be fairly obvious and came from that publisher more than once.

He would tell me how well another author's book was doing. Now, I am all for any writer succeeding, but when a publisher is supposed to be selling my book but tells me how well another writer's is doing, honestly, I just don't want to hear it.

The second was more subtle and I am sure he thought it was a compliment of sorts. It involves categorization. My first two books were about the Iditarod Trail sled dog race.

About ten years later on two occasions, about two other ideas, he contacted me with books he wanted that were "right up my alley." Both were about dogs. What I heard him saying in not so many words was "you are a dog writer." At the time I had just finished a novel and was deep into a second one, neither of which involved dogs. Thinking back I hadn't even wanted to do the second Iditarod book but my ego got in the way. At the time I had reached what I felt was a breakthrough in fiction where I finally understood how it worked and was determined to write what I wanted to, rather than what would sell or what someone else wanted me to do. Stopping that effort to do another project set me back years. To be categorized as a dog writer years later was too much. I never talked with that publisher again. (The most recent Iditarod project is an exception to this tirade.)

This one would have been the worst if I hadn't known the speaker was teasing. Harlequin Romances published a book titled Leader of the Pack. The book plagiarized The Last Great Race to the point of ridiculousness.  Whole sentences, even a couple of complete paragraphs, quotes, descriptions slightly rewritten filled the tale of an alpha sled dog and an alpha male musher and their tawdry romances along the Iditaord Trail. Both books made the circuit through the cabins near the East Pole. Then one night a friend put down the romance, looked at me and said, "It was a lot better than yours – more action." Fortunately the laughter tempered my quick initial reaction.

Of the lists, I would emphasize one item and change another. No. 5 on the list in the graphic is: "Leave a writer alone when the writer is actually writing. You have no idea how difficult it is to enter the zone." Interruptions during periods in the zone I am sure contributed to a divorce in my life, and may provide some basis among reasons why I live alone today.

The second is much easier. No. 10 on that list is dealing with a writer who has received a rejection letter. It suggests leaving him alone but offering a cup of coffee. I suggest whiskey.

Ten things not to say to a writer