My reply was basically "Yes, but not as much." More complicated than that, as I will get into further here soon. As most of you know now, I'm recently unemployed (by choice) and living with my parents again (by choice...well, er, kinda. I have money but no income so I don't feel like wasting my savings, you know? Especially when I still have loans.) I live in a dinky little town in super rural Oregon where jobs are non-existent, and I don't drive let alone have a car. This means I've got a lot of free time. And since my dream has always been to be a successful published author...well guess what I'm working towards full steam now? Yup. Publishing.
So, if I knew by some whim that I would never be published, would I still write? Look, I am not Idealist Hildred. I'm more certainly not Optimistic Hildred. I am Realist Hildred, to the core of my little blackened no1curr soul. No. No I would not. I would be out there hitting the pavement harder than ever, pushing myself into random people's houses in the valley looking for a 9-5 to make ends meet and find some sort of direction for my financial future. Because writing is my job. It's my career. Without publishing I don't have much chance at a good career.
My dream is to not only be successful financially, but successful because people like my work as well. Because they look forward to the next book I want to publish. Without being published I have no future dreams, or at least nothing as strong and important to me. I would still write, of course, because it's the best, but it would be a back-burner hobby. At best I would write a page a week, instead a few a day. And be pretty miserable at my 9-5, more than likely.
Thank God I'm going to be published, eh?
What about you, in case you don't follow The Eagle?
Probably, because writing started as a way to get through the stress of my day.
ReplyDeleteThe whole hey-I-should-publish thought came after I realized that I have a wonderful story idea.
I can't say really for myself, since I've been wanting to write and be read since before kindergarten. But I used to write on the computer everyday for fun after school, until of course I got older and real life took over, drastically cutting back the writing time. S'kinda what I figure it would be like.
DeleteHey, I didn't know you were back from Japan. Glad I stopped in, and welcome back home! Keep on pushing on the writing. I'm sure it will all come together for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the welcome. Yup, it's been over a month now since I got back home. Doesn't feel that long though!
DeleteI understand what you mean. I would still write, but I wouldn't push myself as hard if I knew it would never be published.
ReplyDeleteYes, there just wouldn't be time to push myself hard. Writing would be a hobby, and I don't push myself in my hobbies as a general rule.
DeleteI would probably still write, but I wouldn't have the motivation to edit or polish anything I wrote.
ReplyDelete