At some point in life just about everyone dreams of writing a book, usually a novel. From the outside looking in, writing seems easy to do, loads of fun. And the financial rewards seem enormous.
Sorry if it's news to you, but the truth is that writing is darn hard work, not always fun, and takes not only talent, but loads of time, accompanied by many headaches. And except for a tiny handful of writers, writing seldom pays off financially-speaking. You'll probably spend a good deal more than you'll ever make.
But for those who possess the requisite talent and the unquenchable desire to write, never allow any obstacles to stand in your way. To find time to write, many authors get up before dawn; others stay up into the wee hours of the morning to find the peace to write. Some write on their way to work, on buses, trains, even airplanes. I don't recommend trying to write in your car unless it's stationary, as in waiting for school to get out.
I never had time to write seriously until my youngest was in kindergarten. I worked at night and wrote when I got home, too wired to sleep. While everyone else in the house slept, I wrote. I began by revising work I'd started years before. When I ran out of money to pay for typing supplies, I applied for and won a literary grant.
After my own experiences, good and bad, my best advice is don't allow yourself to get discouraged; don't allow obstacles to stop you; and above all, don't stop writing! Write wherever and whenever you can and as much as you can. You may never get rich or be famous, but you will become a better writer, and that's reward enough!
Keep on writing!
MRTighe
No comments:
Post a Comment