It's a cigar people!

When I published, I felt fairly well-informed about various aspects of the business. I knew about promotion and contracts and edits. But I was unprepared for one interesting by-product of putting my work into the hands of others--having my head shrunk from inside the pages of my books.

Walk with me through the potential minefield. The characters you've become so familiar with over time have made the fateful leap from your imagination to the printed page and now everyone can see them (which is freaky enough). So woo and hoo...but at the same time, the people who know you best suddenly acquire superpowers that allow them to glean additional insight into your quirky little personality. They read all in between those crazy made-up lines.

One friend completely analyzed my relationship with my parents after reading The Knot. Another decided she knew why I had problems with men (and what problems were these? I've avoided men for years! Ha ha.). And recently I got some rather entertaining feedback concerning my last release from a co-worker. She wants to have lunch to discuss because she has burning questions and assumes I have flamable answers. I'll have lunch with her, but I'm afraid she's going to be disappointed.

While it's true that writers can and do transfer subconscious thoughts to their stories, it's not always so deep. For example, years can pass between the first spark of idea and going to press. Some authors even run counter to their own proclivities--on purpose. Freud said it best. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Except, of course, when it isn't (wink).