However strange it may sound, the job and the industry is not the entire world. Just look at your friends and family:

• They will ask you what you do, so you´d better have a short and easily understood answer
• They will make fun of your answer, and undoubtedly make the same fun as everybody else has made - but it is the first time they´re hearing it, so give them a break, and smile politely
• They will misinterpret your answer - because...
• They do not understand the nuances of the craft or the industry. That will not stop some of them from trying to "help" you whether you ask for it or not.
• They cannot be counted on for help when you need it. They will think that stories that you have problems with are "fine". But sometimes they bring a fresh perspective to a problem, so don´t count them out either.
• They will not care as much as you do about your stories. They will not remember everything you tell them about your stories and characters
• They will be baffled by the time it takes to write a story. And so they do not understand how frustrating it can be when they ask if you´re still working on that story.
• They will disturb you when you´re writing. You´d better have a policy for dealing with this - unplugging the telephone, closing the door, or taking holidays without telling anyone where you are
• They are sometimes good sources for information, character traits, connections, and stories. And you need to see other people than the ones in your and other people´s stories, if for no other sake, to get new material for stories and to prevent yourself from being burned out