I was having a conversation recently with someone about books and writing and I mentioned the fact I was working on a novel at the moment. This person then turned to me and asked me why. I was caught of guard for a moment and didn't understand why this person was asking me why I was working on a novel.
When I probed her she said, "Well, why is it that you're working on a novel? Is it because you like to write - because you find joy in writing, or is it because you want to make a career out of it."
The question actually rendered me speechless. I really didn't know how to answer that. Why can't the answer be, "well it's because of both of those reasons."
Ultimately the answer is that I write because I enjoy it, because it allows me to get caught up in these different worlds. I love telling stories. I love communicating with people. Most importantly I do love to write, whether it's an email, a blog post, a newspaper or magazine article or a novel, I really love writing.
That's why I started working on my novel in the first place. I was taking on one job after another in marketing and public relations when I realised all I really wanted to do was write. I wanted to write articles for magazines, I wanted to be a full time blogger. I didn't want to get up and go to the office in the morning, instead I wanted to get up and watch my fingers fly across the keyboard as I wrote.
My number one reason for writing is because it allows me to feel free, to lose myself within the writing, to create people and worlds who exist only in our minds. Some people find this freedom with music - yes, I do find it in music as well, but not in the same way as I do when I write. Of course I don't love it all the time, there are those moments when I'm at a roadblock and just want to throw my computer out the window of my third floor apartment, but ultimately it's what I love, it's what I'm passionate about. So why can't that be a career as well?
I do hope that one day I won't have to get up in the morning and head to the office and work my way through analyzing trends and data, writing end of campaign reports or write press releases. I hope I will get to wake up in the morning and continue giving these characters in my head a voice. I want to make a career out of writing so I don't have to work another day in my life. So I can simply get up each day and do what I love - writing.
When I probed her she said, "Well, why is it that you're working on a novel? Is it because you like to write - because you find joy in writing, or is it because you want to make a career out of it."
The question actually rendered me speechless. I really didn't know how to answer that. Why can't the answer be, "well it's because of both of those reasons."
Ultimately the answer is that I write because I enjoy it, because it allows me to get caught up in these different worlds. I love telling stories. I love communicating with people. Most importantly I do love to write, whether it's an email, a blog post, a newspaper or magazine article or a novel, I really love writing.
That's why I started working on my novel in the first place. I was taking on one job after another in marketing and public relations when I realised all I really wanted to do was write. I wanted to write articles for magazines, I wanted to be a full time blogger. I didn't want to get up and go to the office in the morning, instead I wanted to get up and watch my fingers fly across the keyboard as I wrote.
My number one reason for writing is because it allows me to feel free, to lose myself within the writing, to create people and worlds who exist only in our minds. Some people find this freedom with music - yes, I do find it in music as well, but not in the same way as I do when I write. Of course I don't love it all the time, there are those moments when I'm at a roadblock and just want to throw my computer out the window of my third floor apartment, but ultimately it's what I love, it's what I'm passionate about. So why can't that be a career as well?
I do hope that one day I won't have to get up in the morning and head to the office and work my way through analyzing trends and data, writing end of campaign reports or write press releases. I hope I will get to wake up in the morning and continue giving these characters in my head a voice. I want to make a career out of writing so I don't have to work another day in my life. So I can simply get up each day and do what I love - writing.
I have to agree here: it's for both reasons. I think when you're pursuing publishing it should really be both, don't you? I can think of nothing better than writing for a living. How great would that be? :)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. It would be so amazing to just be able to get up in the morning and write. It's not necessarily any easier, in fact it's probably a whole lot harder, but it would feel so much more fulfilling. One day! We can but dream!
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