You're at a party. The hors d'oeuvres are tasty, the drinks are strong, the people are pretty. You're talking to this one guest and you find out she's a doctor. So you roll up your pants leg and ask her about your rash.
Kidding!
Of course you don't do that.
Because you're cool.
You also don't ask the attorney how to sue your neighbor and his yapping dog, or the teacher if that was really his first job choice. It's basic etiquette; and for the most part, I'm glad to say I travel in circles where it's understood. Alas, if you (like me) publish a blog, are signed up to a dating site, or are introduced around as a writer, you will occasionally encounter people who just don't get it. For the benefit of those people - and anyone who interacts socially with professional writers - here are some things you don't say to a writer.
1. I might steal that line. I get paid to write good lines, most recently by the president of a prestigious university that shall remain nameless. So the fact that you like my line enough to repeat it, take credit for its wit, and pay me nothing is not a compliment. Your good opinion isn't worth $400 an hour, internet stranger.
