How many of us have heard this?
Or maybe this:
I HAVE A GREAT STORY, I'LL WRITE IT OVER THE WEEKEND.
YOU'RE A WRITER? OH THAT SOUNDS LIKE A FUN HOBBY!
Uhh! Come on, people. Writing is hard work. Very, very hard work. I don't know about everybody else, but I don't just sit down at my computer, start typing on Friday afternoon and by Sunday have a completely finished 400 page, polished, spell checked, squeaky-clean, edited, ready-to-send-to-the-publisher manuscript (which of course she's going to immediately call and make an offer on because it is just too fabulous they have to have it before anybody else even has a chance to read it)!
Yet some people believe this is really all it takes. That's like saying I lounge on my purple velvet chaise, a glass of wine in one hand and a box of Godiva dark chocolates bon-bons on my lap while I dictate the next New York Times bestseller to my assistant. I wish it was so. I really do. Not only would it save wear and tear on my poor wrists (not to mention the horrible eyestrain from staring at a computer screen all bloody day, too), I'd be raking in tons of cash. Maybe I could quit the day job. LOL
I say this not to discourage anybody who wants to write. In fact, I encourage you to sit down at your keyboard, or grab your paper and pen, or pull out your handy-dandy mini-recorder and go for it. Writing is rewarding. It's fulfilling. It opens up that magical place inside where something wonderful waits.
Wait—what? You don't have a magical place deep inside? Sure you do. All writers have it. It's that deep well where characters and stories come alive, waiting for us to call them forth and share them with readers. They speak to us (the writer), telling us their secrets, unfolding a plethora of clues, one by one, revealing not only who the nasty villain is, but if you write romance, they reveal the love of their life, their soul mate, and share their happily-ever-after. Le sigh!
Writing is rewarding, not just financially but emotionally. I'm never happier than when I'm working on a book, finding out each detail, the subtle nuances that make it unique and different from anything else.
If you want to write—then write. Nobody else can tell the story the way you can. Reach down into that empty place deep inside and set free the hero or the heroine or even the villain, and let your imagination soar!
Kathy Ivan writes romantic suspense and paranormal romance. Her latest, release, Connor's Gamble, a romantic suspense if available now.
13 comments:
LOL, I've lost count of the people who tell me they're going to write a book too. I suppose people think that as they can write a letter, they can write a book. Sheesh. The next time I meet a brain surgeon, I'll say "Oh, I'm going to do that too…" ;)
Yeah, why do people think this is easy?? Thanks for this post, Kathy!
I can't imagine what my life would be like today if I hadn't listened to that voice back in 2000 that said "write this scene." And then another and another. How much I would be missing out on if I hadn't tapped into that!
Shirley, that's it exactly. People think it's just a hobby or it must be so easy. Or then there are the people who say, I've got a great story, I'll tell it to you and you can write it for me. LOL
Ana, I'll never understand why people think it is easy. It's dang hard work, but fortunately it's work that I love. Wish we could say that about everything else in our lives.
Anne Marie, That is exactly how I feel. I'm thankful every day that I finally listened to the voice that said "tell my story" and started writing. Fingers crossed, I'll never want to stop.
Harlan Ellison once said, “The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer.” Amen.
And I'll say amen to that, too, Marcelle. So very true!
Re the blog subject: I read somewhere that everybody wants to be a writer, but nobody wants to write. Ouch. Almost but not quite true.
Like everyone else, I hear this a lot. I have a friend who always says, "this should go in your book..." Um, yeah. No!
I think everybody who reads probably also has a secret desire to write. They just don't follow through with it. I love reading almost as much as I do the writing. Almost . . .
Wynter, I think we all have that happen. They always have this great line or anecdote or even whole scene which would work great in the book you're writing. Nope, I don't think so. :-)
"I know what you should write about."
The least favorite words I hear at a party :)
It's hard to get the balance right between encouraging people who have that real burning desire to write, and everyone else who thinks, like you say Kathy, that they could whip something together in a few hours . I'm forever grateful for the encouragement I received but, I don't think there was ever a moment when I didn't know it was going to be hard. If people let that put them off then they don't have what it takes to write a book. If they do it anyway and keep trying--despite the constant negatives--then maybe they have what it takes to be a writer. Good luck with your new release, Kathy.
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