Still Life with a Skull and a Writing Quill, Pieter Claesz (1597/1598-1660)
Honestly, this figuring all of this crap out without a week at the beach is exhausting.
We’re on a journey here. A journey to figure out this writing thing. A journey to figure out this retirement thing.
And maybe a journey to figure out why Publisher’s Clearinghouse keeps showing up at someone else’s door.
It’s been almost seven years (Really? That long?) since I stopped saying “I want to be a writer” and started saying “I am a writer.”
That was back here: This book just may have rocked my writing world
Over that time, I’ve had some success with copywriting, and my play was finished and produced. I’ve not (yet) hit the New York Times bestseller list.
But in this year of sorting crap out, I’ve been thinking about the writing I want to do.
It’s not copywriting. I don’t want to write a “best seller” in a weekend (trust me, I’ve watched the webinars).
It’s come to this. I don’t want to write just to make money.
In much the way that I’ve always known theater would never provide a full-time income, I’m realizing that about writing. I act, direct, and produce because I love it.
I write because I love it. No, I don’t always love what I’ve written. That’s what editing is for.
If someday I publish one of my books or sell an article, that’s awesome.
But, I’m not going to spend all my time trying to market myself as a writer just to make pennies on the word for crap that no one reads.
I’ve done the maths, and I need to stick around the day job for a good bit longer. That’s okay. It allows me to do the things I love. Most of the time.
This may not be as remarkable or as eye-opening to you as it is to me.
That’s not going to spoil my Friday.
Before you go, read these things:
Chick-fil-A’s Lean Menu Helps Chain Bulk Up
Sales tripled over past decade at fast-food company focused on chicken; new markets could test expansion
The Wall Street Journal
CNN Drops 26% In Prime Time As Fox News Dominates April Cable Ratings
Forbes