Why do so many writers hide writing from family?Utsudo says the reasons are simple: first, writing reflects your inner self, so letting family you see every day read it is embarrassing; second, fear of being shot down, especially if you want to make writing your career. Her family only found out she wrote novels when she officially signed with a publisher, and since then she mostly shares only good news.

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

“You write books? Does that pay well?”

　　I believe everyone here who loves writing, and even hopes to make a living from it someday, has more or less had this experience.

　　“You write books? Does that pay well?”

　　Usually, when acquaintances learn I write novels, nearly half react with this line. The rest are things like “Wow, amazing!” or “Are you famous?” Basically they still seem to think being a novelist is a lucrative profession.

　　Or maybe they think that since I dare call it a profession, I must already be at the top of the pyramid, so I should be making lots of money (?

　　But that’s not what I want to discuss today — I just want to chat about “wanting people to know you write.”

　　Long ago, when I’d just entered the world of fiction, I couldn’t wait to share with people around me (except family) that I was writing. But later I found most people just responded perfunctorily, so over time I stopped mentioning it and only talked with friends online.

　　But deep down, I still hoped to have friends in real life who liked writing so we could discuss it together. Afterward, whenever I made a new friend, I’d always test the waters by asking if they were interested in fiction.

　　But being interested in fiction doesn’t mean they’re interested in what I write QQ

Why hide writing from family?

　　Someone will surely ask: why share with people around you but deliberately hide it from your own family?

　　The reason is simple —first, it’s embarrassing; second, I’m afraid of being shot down.

　　Embarrassment needs no explanation: writing actually reflects your inner self to a great degree. Letting family you see every day read something so private — how much shamelessness would that take (covers face

　　Being shot down means “disapproving of writing,” especially “wanting to make writing a career.”

　　If you’re just writing, I think parents are pretty happy about it — after all, writing builds concentration, and seeing their kid sitting quietly at the desk is gratifying (x

　　But if you dare tell your family “Mom! I want to be a professional writer!”, your dear mother’s expression will probably look like she’s witnessing Martians invading Earth, followed by fierce opposition or gentle persuasion.

　　But basically, what you’re most likely to hear is“You’ll starve as a writer!”or something to that effect. Some more extreme parents will even freak out whenever they see you writing, or start a family revolution. I haven’t experienced that, but I’ve heard stories as dramatic as the Cultural Revolution (X

My family only found out after I signed a contract

　　As for me, I never came clean to my family —it was only when I officially signed with a publisher that my family learned I’d been writing novels XD

　　So many years have passed, but thinking back still feels a bit bitter. Afterward I rarely talked about the writing process, only occasionally mentioning recent contracts or developments — it became all good news, no bad.

　　Yet writing has always been more hardship than not — but who would really try to understand?

　　

　　Only results are the one powerful proof that explains everything — but sometimes it still feels lonely.

　　To all of you here who keep creating no matter what happens — you’re truly amazing.

FAQ

Further reading (in Chinese)

• Previous: #96 (in Chinese)
• Next: #98 (in Chinese)
• Start from the beginning: #01 — Utsudo’s debut
• Column introduction
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.

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