We’ve all heard the saying that if you love what you
do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
I’m not going to mince words.
Whatever you do guys, please, make sure it makes you
happy. Money is fine and all, but if you’re miserable, the job will be another
job and nothing more. It won’t bring you joy and it won’t bring you peace.
Since I think it’s safe to say that everyone here
loves writing to the point of insanity, I’m going to gear this towards that,
and say that writing is sometimes just plain hard.
It’s not always easy, but if you really love it, you’ll
push through that. You’ll keep going even when it’s hard, because there is a
light at the end of that tunnel.
Don’t believe me?
Ask a published author. I’m sure they’ll tell you
that when they were just starting out, they didn’t think they’d make it either.
But you know what?
They did.
I’m going to end this post now, before I say something
really stupid. :)
Mad, she may be, but she's not crazy - listen to her. (Yes, that's a really lousy pun. However, I don't care.)
ReplyDeleteWriting is definitely work. It's not the kind that makes you stand in the sun and do heavy lifting all day, but it's got its own effort involved, and most of that effort is solitary. Sometimes that makes for difficult days because what you're working on only exists to you until you can get it in a form others can experience.
Once you finish your novel (or short story or non-fiction project, whatever), there's still more work. You edit. You go on the query-go-round.
Get an agent? Great - now more work. Revisions! Submissions! Waiting, while writing a new book! YAY!
Get a publishing contract? Great - now more work. More revisions! More edits! Remove characters. Add sub-plots. COPYEDITS!!!
Then you get to start all over for your next book (hopefully without the agent-hunting steps).
But then comes the fun part. You're published. People are reading (and hopefully loving) your words. That solitary thing you did that no one understood? Now it's *real*. Now they can see what was in your head. They can meet the characters you created and walk down the streets you paved.
Work? Yes.
Hard? Yes.
Worth it? Definitely.
I pretty much needed to hear this. So thank you!
DeleteAnd that includes the post, Mad! I needed to hear THAT, too.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. I can't imagine doing something other than writing, ever!
ReplyDeleteZia
http://singing-blue.blogspot.ca/
I totally agree! I love to write, but sometimes I get writer's block and feel as if I'm never going to get around it, but all authors get writer's block and they get pass it.
ReplyDelete