Crazy Bad Hair

Crazy hair from hell
Grows all the wrong ways and more
It lives on my head

You've all heard me rant about my hair from hell. Nothing's changed. Last week it was time for a haircut. The woman who cuts it always tells me she's glad I'm her customer because my hair challenges her. I'm not making this up.

She recently moved to a different salon. And she told me she was moving so I would follow her. She wasn't making it up either or she would've cut and run, and I would've had to find a new haircutter.

While I was draped and at her mercy, she told the haircutter next to her that I'm a writer and I'm in the middle of a book. They talked for a minute or so about how exciting that is. I'm like If only you knew.

The other haircutter said, "What's your book about?"

I told her. It's good practice for getting the hook right.

She said, "Did that really happen or did you make it up?" She actually used the words make it up.

I said I made it up.

She said, "All of it?" And looked at me as if I'd grown a second head. Maybe one with even worse hair.

I'm like duh. "Yes."

She said, "Wow."

What did her wow mean?
a. She must have a vivid imagination.
b. How could anybody think of something like that.
c. Why would anybody think of anything like that.
d. No wonder she has such crazy hair.
e. All of the above.
f. None of the above.



Comments

Colette Martin saidā€¦
The wow might mean "that story sounds so realistic, I never would have thought of that". But then, I think the best fiction takes you where you wouldn't otherwise go yourself.
Helen Ginger saidā€¦
It's probably all of the above. And she was admiring your fabulous imagination and work ethic.
Linda Kage saidā€¦
LOL! I'm going to go with E! Nonwriters just don't understand the crazy workings of an author's brains, though appently they do see the crazy results sprouting out of our heads, I guess!!

Must be the day for bad-hair posts. I wrote about my hair (and setting) today too!

I love that line about challenging hair. You're definitley going to have to put that in a story.
Joanne saidā€¦
I think it's fascinating how very, very intrigued people are with writers! In non-writer eyes, there's such a mystery to what we do.
VR Barkowski saidā€¦
This comment has been removed by the author.
VR Barkowski saidā€¦
I agree with Helen. Although, I have noticed that folks who say they've thought about writing a book when they have a little extra time (I don't know about you, but I hear that gem 99 out of every 100 times I'm outed as a writer), it's usually about their own experiences. Maybe the prospect of making something up never occurred to her? Woo, that's scary. There's a lot of fiction out there that shouldn't be interpreted as fact.
Unknown saidā€¦
Now you have me intrigued. What is your story about? I hate having to explain my day job so I don't tell anyone. But, your post did remind me that I need a haircut.
Donna Volkenannt saidā€¦
Funny and interesting post.
Going to the hairdresser is always an interesting experience.
I'm betting the woman's Wow! meant e.
Donna V.
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Colette - There's another idea.

Helen - LOL about the admiration part.

Linda - I'm pretty sure writers don't think exactly the same as non-writers.

Joanne - I think you're correct.

VR - When people say that, it really pushes my buttons. Yet I usually smile and say something like 'good, go for it'. It is scary if she never thought about books being made up and not real.
Shallee saidā€¦
Yup, I say all of the above. :)

I love hearing stories of people reacting to writers and their stories. Thanks for sharing!
Now I'm curious about your hair! Mine is long and straight because it's so incredibly fine that there's absolutely nothing else I can do with it! Is it that way for you, too?

I think I've gotten immune to people's reactions now. I wonder if she thought you were lying? Because I've gotten that reaction a few times, myself!
Maryannwrites saidā€¦
Great story Carol. It is always interesting to see the different reactions people have when we say we are writers. I wonder how you controlled yourself when the hairdresser asked, "You made it up?"
I'm not sure I could have kept a straight face.
Mason Canyon saidā€¦
I think WOW was e. From a reader's view point we can't help but be amazed and in awe of what you writers do. Guess we're a little star struck so to speak.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Clarissa - It's about a woman who inherits her uncle's property following his murder. Someone tries to kill her and it makes her angry; she meets a man who isn't who he says he is but she doesn't know that; and everything goes from bad to worse and she makes a lot of mistakes. Still needs a lot of tweaking.

Donna - We'll never know for sure because I'm not asking!

Shallee - There is always a reaction. Never just an 'oh' or no comment at all, just a nod, and going on with the conversation.

Elizabeth - Maybe. It's a possibility I hadn't thought about.

My hair is fine, but I wear it short. I have a few cowlicks, and for the most part it's wavy. But there is one place where it's bone straight. And in different places it's thin, regular, or thick. I'm not making it up - LOL.

Maryann - I was pretty much speechless by that point. Good thing, or I might have told her the story I'd made up about her.

Mason - No need to be starstruck. We all follow our own paths. Some of us are just led by characters we make up :)
Elspeth Futcher saidā€¦
I vote for 'all of the above'. One wonders what people would say if, in reply to the 'Did you make that up' question we replied; 'No, I'm just copying it from another book."
LR saidā€¦
Haha I like d. It's hard for us to fathom but a lot of people don't have wild imaginations like we do.

These people think we're brilliant, which of course is true. :)
Angela saidā€¦
Please send me your book when it`s finished! I`ll put the money in an envelope and you don`t have to share with your publisher, will he mind?
I like wild imaginations. Me, I have so many crazy things happening to me or people telling me their wondrous thoughts, I have never made up a story. But full of admiration for you! Wow.
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Elspeth - LOL! Or if I wrote urban fantasy and told her it was true.

LR - The people I know who don't have wild imaginations - or rather very little imagination - think I'm wasting time.

Angela - I'll be sure and let you know. It's a ways from that point.
Lydia Kang saidā€¦
Ha ha, those are very good, but I was thinking something lightly different, like, "Geez, underneath this nice lady lurks a lot of creativity. I never would have guessed."
Hannah saidā€¦
My favorite is people who don't know the difference between fiction and non-fiction...love it.
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Lydia - Nice lady? You're sweet :)

Hannah - Yeah, there are those....
Southpaw saidā€¦
I love it. Iā€™m sure she was simply fascinated by your imagination.
G. J. Jolly saidā€¦
Carol, please don't hate me for this. She probably said wow to make you feel good. At least she thinks she's making you feel good. She probably doesn't care one way or the other about what you write because it isn't about her.
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Holly - We can hope :)

Glynis - LOL...that's probably true. So none of the above.
Janet, saidā€¦
I would go with all of the above. They say right about what you know. Maybe you could put a character in one of your stories that has hair problems. :o)
Arlee Bird saidā€¦
I don't want to hear about hair. After all I don't have much to talk about when it comes to the subject of hair. What I do have tends to get a bit unruly. If I were to dye my hair bright red, cover my face in white make up, and add a red rubber nose I'd make a great clown.

What's with all this hair talk anyway?

Wow.

Lee
Tossing It Out
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Janet - I just might do that one day.

Arlee - Wow. What hair! Wow. I didn't make that up - LOL.
J.L. Campbell saidā€¦
She probably thought 'all of the above'.
Manzanita saidā€¦
Probably F.... none of the above. She was most likely in awe that under that crazy hair there was a brilliant mind that that could concoct such a fantastic realistic story. She probably went home and told all her neighbors that she met a real writer with crazy hair and they all said WOW. See how WOW's just keep growing. It could be a mystery. The case of the growing WOW's.
Love and peace to your hair.
Hart Johnson saidā€¦
*giggles* I'd go with 'no wonder she has such crazy hair'. I happen to have crazy hair too, by the way--so crazy I don't let anybody else touch it--it is curly, but not EVENLY curly, so if you cut it even it looks uneven. BAD IDEA.
Talli Roland saidā€¦
Haha! This made me laugh, because I've had similar reactions from people who ask my how the heck I just up stuff!
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
J.L. - Maybe one day I'll find out.

Manzanita - Thank you for the much needed hair blessing :)

Hart - Sister Crazy Hairs :) My haircutter has been known to mutter 'why does it DO that'.

Talli - Yeah. I'm like 'why don't you?'
Laura Eno saidā€¦
Thanks for the laugh! I feel sorry for the non-crazy, I mean, non-writer people. :D
MTeacress saidā€¦
All of the above, plus maybe a little "Does she really spend all of her time doing that?" Haha!
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Laura - Yeah!

Michelle - LOL! That's good.
The Words Crafter saidā€¦
Yep. She was definitely impressed! That's like the best response possible. Except of course, one that results in a manuscript purchase and a sweet book contract, :)
Claudia Zurc saidā€¦
Hi Carol,
I'll have to go with e) All of the above! LOL!
Well, did you at least a) get a good haircut? b)laugh at her comment?. c)feel flattered? d)all of the above e)Not coming back to this salon. ;)
Carol Kilgore saidā€¦
Words Crafter - "...manuscript purchase and a sweet book contract, :)" Yes, that would be nice!

Claudia - I got a good haircut :)

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