I read a question someone posed once – “Do you want to write, or just live the writer’s lifestyle?”
I had to realize really that was a put up or shut up question. The question, as posed by Karl Iglesias, goes like this – let’s say you have everything you wanted – big house, money, cars, no responsibilities. You take your two weeks vacation, play a little and… then what?
If the answer is, “I’d keep playing!” – you’re not a writer. You just want the lifestyle only a few bestsellers ever get.
If one the other hand the answer is, “I’d finish my next book, and start on the one after that….”
…you’re a writer.
this is important. There’s three major reasons that most people never complete their first novel.
- Fear
- lack of knowledge
- no real talent or desire to actually write
If you fit under category three, here’s what it is – you just want the writer’s lifestyle. If that’s the case, take up real estate. There’s no sense finishing your novel, because you’re not that interested in it – you just want what the novel potentially will bring.
A writer usually writes all their life. You have breaks, entire years where you don’t write – but you return to writing nonetheless.
If that sounds like you, take heart! There’s far more resources today to help you overcome problems one and two!
The most important thing you can do as a writer? write. Write a lot. The more you write, the more you read your writing critically, the more work you put into learning to edit – the better you will get.
