Time and again, we hear wails
from writers complaining that writing is such hard work. They moan
No one is forced to write:
it’s a personal choice, a selection of a lifestyle. Anyone who becomes a writer
in the expectation of making easy money is a fool. Writing fiction is not a way
to guarantee a worthwhile income. The average English novel makes around
£2000.00 for the writer: that’s for an investment of maybe two years work (and,
included in that average is the income made by authors such as JK Rowling. Do
the math, as they say). Anyone entering the field without awareness of the
realities is either naive or stupid. Few freelancers, writing articles, make a very
good living, though some make a reasonable amount. Probably the only way to be
sure of a constant income from writing is to become a journalist working on a
regularly published journal. Everything else is speculation.
For me, writing is not
work. It’s a joy, a journey through my imagination to lands and lives I invent.
This isn’t work, this is delight. Editing isn’t work; not for me. I love the
chase for the perfect word or phrase. I love the discovery of new vocabulary to
replace repetitions, I love the search for new ways to say things. Research
isn’t work: it’s an adventure, a trip to new experiences and knowledge.
So, what is work for me,
when it comes to the world of writing fiction? Selling. Marketing. Building a
platform. I’ve worked as a salesman more than once during my varied career and
it was never a role that sat easily with me. We look at life through our own
eyes, and tend to expect that people are pretty much like us. I’m that guy who
never wants to be advised on what to buy, who doesn’t want to be approached by
a shop assistant handing out advice. If I want something, I do some research
and buy what appears to be best for my needs. I expect others to be similar, so
the idea of actively selling seems either a waste of time or a con trick.
Surely people know what they want and where they can obtain it? Marketing is
similar, in that it’s a means to persuade people to be interested in something
they may otherwise not consider.
I hear the screams of protest.
I hear the denials. Yes, I know that the world of books is a tough one with
competition that’s often far from fair. I understand that, if I want to sell my
books, I have to somehow get them to the attention of readers. In so doing, I
have to compete and become involved in league tables, press releases,
advertising, promotion, engagement with potential readers, and a slough of
other activities all designed to take me away from what I think I do best;
writing.
So, I have a choice. I can
spend most of my time and effort engaged in activity designed to bring my work
to the attention of others; something I’ve been doing with minimal success for
the past year or more. Or I can write, publish books, and hope that readers
will appreciate those works, spread the word and allow me to build a readership
that enables my books to be read by more and more people. My choice should
depend on what I do best and what I most love. Writing. So, that is what, from
now, I will be doing. If I sell few books as a result of taking this approach,
so be it: it’ll be no change from the current situation. Except that I’ll be
actively enjoying my time writing instead of finding the task of marketing and
selling a drudgery I can barely abide.
I’ve spent the last three
days in doing the final editing of book one of a fantasy trilogy. Much of that
time has been a re-reading of the book, following the editing, so that I have
it fresh in my mind. I’ll spend the next few days in doing the same for book
two, already written and edited. Then I can start to write book three, which
has been slowly bubbling away in the back of my mind during the last few
months. This is what I love to do. Write.
This means I won’t always be
free to do these spots, which were once regular. I’ll certainly try to produce
a post each week, simply because this is a form of writing I enjoy and find
relatively easy to do. It’s also a necessary break from the more imaginative
creative writing involved in making up a story. But it isn’t work. Not for me.
It’s pleasure, enjoyment, fulfilment.
So. When it comes to the
world of writing, what constitutes work for you and why do you do it? Let us
all know. Just place a comment here and share your thoughts. You might help
some other poor beleaguered writer along the way.
Here are a few quotes on work from well know
writers:
Work is the curse of the
drinking classes. Oscar Wilde.
Work is a necessary evil
to be avoided. Mark Twain.
Nothing is work unless
you’d rather be doing something else. George Halas.
Work consists of whatever
a body is obliged to do. Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.
Mark Twain.
Talent is cheaper than
table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a
lot of hard work. Stephen King.
I put my heart and soul
into my work, and have lost my mind in the process. Vincent Van Gogh.
Never permit a dichotomy
to rule your life, a dichotomy in which you hate what you do so you can have
pleasure in your spare time. Look for a situation in which your work will give
you as much happiness as your spare time. Pablo Picasso.
The more I want to get
something done, the less I call it work. Richard Bach.
If you cannot work with
love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work.
Khalil Gibran.
I think you’ll spot those
with which I agree. More than anything else, I hope you’ll find ways to enjoy
this wonderful craft we call writing.
