Yet again, I felt like I’ve been patted on the head and told, “How cute, you write!” It’s inescapable as a writer. When it happens, I’m more bothered than I probably should be, and so I’d like to explain my thoughts on the matter. Perhaps it’ll help clear my head.
Let me first say that when you have a friend that writes, encourage them. It does not matter how good they are, or what they write. The simple fact is that if they continue writing–and reading–they’ll get better. If they persevere enough, they may even go somewhere with it. I believe it is a noble hobby, a way to bring something of your own to the world, whether to brighten someone’s day or benefit society as a whole.
It is not a simple thing. Writing is hard work, no matter what it is. And the publishing industry is brutal (except self-publishing is getting easier with things like ebooks). It’s no wonder there are so many people who dream of it, one day, but never do it, or don’t end up trying hard enough. Writers should be respected for this perseverance.
That is not to say that no one writes for the sole reason to be famous. This is not something I agree with, but sadly, it does happen, and some people get away with it. Their writing is not particularly amazing, but they get the marketing part down and are lucky enough to succeed, and the rest of us are left grumbling and writing angry blog posts.
There is of course some part of me that would love to be famous for my writing, but I know it is not something I can count on. It is insanely difficult to not only be published, but also well-known. This is why I do my best to let that dream go and instead write for the experience. After the fun of playing with words and putting them in an order you think is pleasing, when a friend or mentor reads your work and tells you you’re getting better, it’s an incredible feeling. It doesn’t matter that only one person has read it. It doesn’t matter if no one else in the world knows you like to write. The feeling of doing something right is incredible. It’s on par with the feeling of fixing a coding bug.
Not to mention the thrill of playing God. You decide what people look and speak like, where they go, who they meet, what happens to them (in fiction writing, anyway). This sort of thing takes practice, like exercising an “imagination” muscle. I believe everyone has the possibility, but not everyone has the time, interest, or self-confidence to do it.
Particularly if you see a writer in person, know that it took courage for them, at some point in their lives, to even admit to themselves that they like to write, and that they’re good enough–or they can be good enough one day–to be read.
Nothing can be created without first being dreamed, and these dreams are precious things. I believe a good life is one in which someone follows their dreams, and their happiness. This does involve being realistic, which is why I did not get a degree in creative writing; I knew that I didn’t want to depend on writing for income, and I had another love, logic and computers, which helped the realistic end of things (of course I also don’t believe you need a degree in writing to be good at it). But my hobby and other love is writing, and nothing will ever change that.
