Yeah. So, when people find out I'm writing a novel, people all too often ask me what it's about.
Is anyone else having a problem ironing what the novel is all about out? I could write a pitch, but that would be tacky if my book isn't done yet. And I don't feel good enough about the novel to make any sweeping generalisations. And my genre doesn't Fit With Everything Else (romance, action, drama, suspense, scifi, fantasy) ... so I can't just say 'it's a none of the above book.'
What do you do when people ask you that?
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06 - critical mass, won.
07 - sin cera.
peppermints consumed: 86.
dr peppers inhaled: 5
pages: 102 (not double spaced between paragraphs! :O)
(All hail my NaNoNewbie, The Why Bird!)
50,117 / 50,000
nov. 21, 2007 - 21 07
I just kind of fudge over it and say, "Oh, it's sort of a romantic suspense." Hell, nobody knows what to say to an author, after, "Sooo...what's your novel about?", and they expect us to charm them with our wit and polish. When they say to me, "Tell me about your MC", then we can talk.
250,736 / 50,000
nov. 21, 2007 - 21 54
First book (of 2 for Nano 2007), named "My Little Pony" is about a teenage girl and her little pony -- Pony Stock, that is, four-cylinder stock car and short track racing.
27,001 / 50,000
nov. 22, 2007 - 18 08
YES. And I try to explain. I say my main character is trying to find out the meaning of life and sound really incredibly pretentious. Which is sort of the point of the book, in that he is a laughably pretentious philosophy student who has to learn some life lessons.
And I'm sounding pretentious again already. Argh! ;-)
Mostly I've been saying stuff like "It's a coming-of-age story with religion, philosophy, and some pretty cool facial hair."
10,000 / 50,000
nov. 22, 2007 - 19 54
I never quite know what to say. I usually mumble something vaguely coherent and they leave me alone, like it's a family drama or it's an teen angst novel.
It's not so much that I don't know what the novel is about, it's just that I don't know how to explain it to other people without feeling like an idiot.
50,524 / 50,000
nov. 23, 2007 - 13 43
It's an easy question to answer...
Q: "Sooo...what's your novel about?"
A: About to drive me crazy...
Then you can tell them about the fun you have writing it, and the challenge, but you don't have to give the mojo away.
50,064 / 50,000
nov. 24, 2007 - 12 20
Um... mostly about three friends taking the mickey out of each as they blunder through their days? Mostly anyway.
50,129 / 50,000
nov. 25, 2007 - 13 53
>_> I give them my awesome awesome genre.
Sci-fi/war/crime/fantasy/dash of romance thriller.
They all go o.O and give up asking questions.
50,032 / 50,000
nov. 29, 2007 - 18 38
Yeah. I tell them it's a romantic science fiction novel about what would happen if the world blew up. They have no response to that.
LOL
Trilli
60,560 / 50,000
janv. 29, 2008 - 07 57
Depends on the person. If I can tell that they aren't into my genre, I just blow it off with "it's a speculative fiction" and I say it in such a way that they feel like an idiot for asking what speculative fiction is and so I have to go no further. But if I think that they would be into my genre, I tell them a little of what it's about. Then, if they are genuinely interested, I give them a more broad synapsis.
200,010 / 50,000
févr. 1, 2008 - 23 36
"So, what's your novel about?"
"Nothing interesting."
"...so why are you writing it?"
"Because I find it interesting. Not that you would find it interesting."
They usually leave me alone after that. xD
22,645 / 50,000
févr. 3, 2008 - 19 36
Oh yeah... all the time.
I just tell them: "I don't know, the main character hasn't told me yet. Oh, hold on a minute, he wants to talk to me right now."
Then you start muttering to yourself and frequently shout "But that's absurd, it doesn't make sense!".
After a few minutes they've usually disappeared, and tend to go out of their way to avoid you the next time you meet.
25,000 / 50,000
avr. 4, 2008 - 20 07
"Some dude trying to save the world from an evil dictator..."
They all give me this look like, "It's been done before..."
Every time I see that look, I want to scream "Yes, it's been done before, but it hasn't been done MY WAY!"