At the moment I am on the phone with my grandmother. She is a strong Baptist, in her mid-sixties, and not a fan of my love for Korean culture. She has asked to read my novel, 'The Summer Colors of You'.
Now, I know she won't like it.
And it's not because it's a romance.
Here is a list I am making right now while speaking with her as things occur to me.
Korean names
Korean places
JinKi's drinking problem
ChunHee's drinking problem
JinKi/Mina 1st kiss scene
Kim Jongwan's badmouthing
ChunHee's badmouthing
JinKi's language when speaking w/Mrs. Kim
Chapter 11's Mina/JinKi scene
Kibum's confession
Mina's mixed heritage
Mina's stepmother's death (alcohol poisoning)
Kibum's Hallyu (Korean Wave) stardom
THIS IS MY NOVEL.
I feel sorry for her because I don't think she will like my novel very much, but I can't just tell her I won't let her read it because she won't like it. Oh, well.
-Argentia
2 comments:
I understand that feeling well. It's not a fun place to be. Art does that. It creates waves. Literature, above all, has created some of the biggest waves in the world, building and destroying people's opinions of the writer overnight. Often, for their own good, I can't let my grandparents (or parents) read what I've written either, and realizing that reality is . . . uncomfortable. So, one writer to another in a conservative community, kudos and condolences.
So true. When I thought about it after reading your comment, I did realize a lot of writers have had to deal with the consequences of the content of their work, whether good, bad, or a mix of both.
I actually read your post about seeing The Hobbit with your parents. I know, I know, I should have commented, but it slipped my mind since I was already late to go see The Hobbit myself. Anyway, I related to that post quite a bit concerning my grandparents and some friends' families. I'm thankful that my mom doesn't have problems with what I write-if she did, I probably WOULD need to change my writing. My dad rarely reads fiction and he's definitely not the type for romance, so I never worry about showing him my manuscripts, anyway. ^^
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