Why is it when
you tell someone you’re an author, they immediately ask how much you make? When
I find out the fella sitting next to me at a potluck is a plumber, the next
words out of my mouth aren’t, “How much does that pay?”
But even worse
are those “discreet” people. The crafty ones who slink around the edge of the
question they’re dying to ask and come at you with, “So, I bet your book is
selling really well, hmm?”
Far be it from
me to drizzle on everyone’s parade, but here’s a newsflash: most authors don’t
have a Swiss bank account where they store their hordes of cash offshore. In
fact, most authors are lucky to have an intact piggy bank sitting on a shelf in
their bedroom.
I propose that
the real question snoopy-snooperbees should ask isn’t how much do writers make,
but why do writers write? What drives a relatively normal human being to stare
at a screen for hours on end, fatiguing brain cells to create a twisty-turny
plot with memorable characters, all for pennies per word?
Lots of reasons,
really, but here are the 5 biggies…
Cheaper Than Prozac
Writing is a way
to make sense of and sort through emotions. Who needs a shrink if you can work
out your frustrations on paper? Fiction is a safe environment to build a world
and play the what-if game.
No Felonies Involved
Some people are
hooked on crack cocaine. Others sell their soul for meth. Let’s face it;
writing is an addiction. A compulsion. The act of writing gives writers a huge
warm fuzzy.
FAFSA or Student Loans Not Required
Writing is an
education. There’s always something new to learn about the craft or a deeper
level of knowledge to attain. And no matter what genre you write in, there’s
always research to be done.
To Avoid Groping TSA Agents
Love to go on
vacation but hate the hassle at the airport? That’s one of the best things
about writing. Escaping into the world of story saves tons of money and you
don’t have to apply for a passport.
To Breathe
The bottom line
is that writers write because they must. It’s an expression of self. To deny that
self causes huge amounts of frustration and invalidation…which makes for a very
cranky person.
Not that getting
a fat advance or a juicy royalty check isn’t important. It’s just not the end all and
be all of a writer at heart. In the words of one of my favorite authors…
“I write for the same reason I breathe ~
because if I didn’t, I would die.”
~ Isaac Asimov
