Why am I such a chicken?

[jasperd]

I've always wanted to be a writer. I mean since before I could actually write. I remember Judy Blume coming to my school for Authors Day. I got to talk to her personally and I told her how much I wanted to be an author.

I've known my whole life and I always put it off or danced around the "task" of actually sitting my butt down and writing a book. WHY!? I am just so afraid of the time and effort it will take. What if it doesn't even sell? And don't kid yourself by telling me that writing should only be done out of the love of writing. Every writer wants their book to sell.

My teachers, my family, everyone has told me to do it but I'm so scared. Does anyone else feel like this? I guess my reasoning is if I never do it at least people will think I "could" have been a great writer. How lame is that? Okay.....angry, self-loathing rant over.

[Stijn Hommes]

I generally write short fiction, but the same rules apply here. I see writing as a hobby next to my job/education. If you look at it like that, for me at least, it's lots less terrifying.

You might also try writing short fiction first (if you haven't done so already). It teaches the basics of story telling and it usually takes a lot less time to finish a short than it takes to finish a novel. Having a finished product in hand you can sell is an enormous confidence booster.

[RLSMiller]

If you're passionate about writing then just sit down and do it. Nothing is ever lost. Even if it doesn't sell, you'll have learned something about the process. A lot of writers never sell their first novel, so you wouldn't be in the minority if yours didn't. It takes some self-belief to dedicate yourself to something as time-heavy as writing a novel, but if you don't believe in yourself and your capabilities then no one else will.

You might try reading some websites/books on writing, or perhaps outlining. Personally, I found that doing preliminary work before I started writing my novel gave me a lot more confidence when I actually sat down to write. Because I'd researched so much (I even looked up agents/publishers), I knew all the basic rules of writing, I knew where my story was going, and I knew what was expected of a professional writer in the publishing industry. Because of all that, not only was I was aware of what I was getting myself into, I also had a clear path to follow. It felt less like stumbling through the dark in the hopes I'd churn out something publishable, and more like having a goal and knowing exactly what I'd need to do to give myself the best shot at achieving it.

The whole experience was way less daunting than I thought it would be. It's taken 8 months of my life so far, which, in the grand scheme of things, is nothing. Some people have been doing it for 20 years. I've just started querying, and I don't know if I'll be successful first time round, but I've given it my best shot and I'm glad I decided to follow my heart. I've prepared myself as best I can with the time I've had so far, and I know that even if it doesn't happen for me right now, I'll keep trying until it does. I'm sure that if you really want this, once you take the first step, you'll never look back.

Good luck!

[scarletpeaches]

I've always wanted to be a writer. I mean since before I could actually write. I remember Judy Blume coming to my school for Authors Day. I got to talk to her personally and I told her how much I wanted to be an author.

I've known my whole life and I always put it off or danced around the "task" of actually sitting my butt down and writing a book. WHY!? I am just so afraid of the time and effort it will take. What if it doesn't even sell? And don't kid yourself by telling me that writing should only be done out of the love of writing. Every writer wants their book to sell...

How are you going to find out if it's going to sell or not if you never write it?

I'd rather take the risk and find out than spend the rest of my life wondering, and that applies to everything, not just writing.

My teachers, my family, everyone has told me to do it but I'm so scared. Does anyone else feel like this?

No. Well, I don't.

...I guess my reasoning is if I never do it at least people will think I "could" have been a great writer. How lame is that? Okay.....angry, self-loathing rant over.

People won't think you 'could' have been a great writer if you never even try. They'll think you were someone who didn't try.

[Edward G]

I've always wanted to be a writer. I mean since before I could actually write. I remember Judy Blume coming to my school for Authors Day. I got to talk to her personally and I told her how much I wanted to be an author.

I've known my whole life and I always put it off or danced around the "task" of actually sitting my butt down and writing a book. WHY!? I am just so afraid of the time and effort it will take. What if it doesn't even sell? And don't kid yourself by telling me that writing should only be done out of the love of writing. Every writer wants their book to sell.

My teachers, my family, everyone has told me to do it but I'm so scared. Does anyone else feel like this? I guess my reasoning is if I never do it at least people will think I "could" have been a great writer. How lame is that? Okay.....angry, self-loathing rant over.

Yes. The potential seems like a diamond. But, if you act on it, it disappears and you're judged on the results of your effort. What if you aren't any good? Right now, everyone thinks you absolutely should be a writer; what if later they say, "Whoops, he really should have stuck to plumbing and landscape."

I feel this same way now that I'm only a few days away from starting the rough draft of my new work, which is very important to me. I console myself this way: real failure is not trying. Real failure, real losing is basking in potential.

Good luck to you. I hope you sell a million. If we still are in this group when you publish, I'll be one of your first readers.

[DVGuru]

I spent eleven years as a filmmaker. A lot of time went to reading books on the subject, writing screenplays, and making short films to learn the craft. I spend more money then I like to admit and stopped myself from getting a real job because it would have cut into my filmmaking time, so I worked menial part-time retail jobs. As I got older, I realized being a filmmaker really wasn't what I wanted. Writing was always my favorite part of the process; the area I excelled at. I decided filmmaking wasn't for me, and that I should concentrate my efforts on writing.

At no point have I regretted my work as a filmmaker, even though I was never close to breaking into Hollywood. I gave it my best shot and parted ways on my own terms. I truly believe that if I hadn't given it a shot, I would've regretted it for the rest of my life, always wondering what I could've accomplished.

IMO, there's no such thing as "becoming a writer." You either write or you don't. If what you want to do is write, then sit your butt down and start working on a novel.

[jenngreenleaf]

You sound normal to me. :) I don't think it's a fear of failure, but rather a fear of success. Spin it that way, take a look at what is meaningful to you, take a look at why writing is meaningful to you, and listen to your peers. I don't have ANY cheerleaders in real life telling me I should be a writer (in recent years, my mother has gotten better at this), so I've had to focus on the negative (proving people wrong). In your case, you'll be able to say, "you were right." To me, that's a great focus and motivational drive. :)

[Danthia]

There's that old quote "writers write."

Undertaking anything new that matters to you can be scary. Failing at a dream can be scary. But what's the worst that can happen? You write and it sucks? So what? Do you know how many books are on the market that suck? Writing is subjective.

If you feel passionately about it, write and see where it goes. The more you write, the faster you'll improve. And if you don't suck? Then you still write more and improve. No one got their driver's permit and went on to win the Indy 500 the same day. Writing is just like any other skill. You try it, you see where your weak spots are and you do things to make them stronger. They're called first drafts for a reason. Writing is fluid.

Just write what makes you happy. Forget the fear, because you never have to show anyone if you don't want to. No one writes because it's the quick and easy way to success or stardom. They write because they love it and can't imagine not doing it.

[Straka]

My teachers, my family, everyone has told me to do it but I'm so scared. Does anyone else feel like this? I guess my reasoning is if I never do it at least people will think I "could" have been a great writer. How lame is that? Okay.....angry, self-loathing rant over.

You don't have to be a great writer to write or enjoy writing.

I don't think anyone person is any one thing. To reference the TV Show taxi, I think it was Sam who said every driver here is a writer or an actor or a whatever. I'm the only one that's just a taxi driver.

To me that’s a very good line. I've been writing novels since I was 17. It’s been eight years and I've done 4 unpublished works. Since then I've gone to a 4-year college and had 4 jobs. At some point hopefully some of the work will get published and at some point I could live off of that but if you do the math it doesn't look as pretty.

As an example it seems to take 1-2 years to get a deserving book published. From what I've read most writers can’t live off their writing until the 4th or 5th book. So you have anywhere between 5 to 10 years before we can live off our work.

So have a backup plan:) Have another career that makes you happy and pays the bills. If involves writing even better. But in the meantime, keep writing!

[johnzakour]

I hate to quote a shoe commercial but:

Just Do It...

What happens happens.

[triceretops]

"No victory without sacrifice." Archibald, Ron, and Sam Whitwhiky--Transformers.

You haven't even started. Jump in there. You're going to get caught up and enjoy the ride in spite of yourself. I dare ya.:D

tri

[Moon Daughter]

Everyone has given you great advice. The only thing I'd like to add on is that you really should just write for yourself and not worry if it's going to sell or not.

[jannawrites]

It is a scary thing, but that doesn't make you a chicken... It just means you're having trouble jumping over that first hurdle. When you've hit on that perfect plot idea (if you haven't already) you may have to force yourself to sit down and begin. You'll get into a routine and eventually your confidence will build. You'll start to believe in yourself and before you know it you'll be an honest-to-goodness writer! More than likely you'll have fits and spurts of successfulness mixed with thoughts of suckiness (my thoughts always go back to what if I fail? and what if all this time and effort are for naught?). But the key is picking up the pen (or poising over the keyboard) until it starts pouring out of you. You won't know until you've tried. Good luck!

[job]

You must have caught me when I'm in a bad mood,
because I'm going to be real blunt.


Do you want to write?

Or do you want to be ****!! AN AUTHOR !!!*** ?


Wanting to be ****AN AUTHOR*** and never sitting down to write
is like wanting to be ****A FOOTBALL STAR*** and never actually getting bruised and dirty on the field,
or wanting to be ****A PRIMA BALLERINA*** and never getting the first bloody blisters from your toe shoes.



If you do not go out and toss a football around for the joy of it, then you are in love with the idea of being a football star and not with the game.

If you don't love the process of writing, stop being seduced by the word 'author' and go do something you do love.


The thing that keeps this from being blighting -- and I don't want to be blighting -- is that your bliss may be as an editor or agent or reviewer or librarian or publicist or bookstore owner or Professor of Literature or any of the fifty roles that feed your love of writing but are not 'writer'.

[Danger Jane]

Can I quote the dozen or so people who've already advised you to just write?


Just write.


If it's crap on the first try, don't worry. You're on an awesome forum whose members will help you out along the way. There's a ton of information here on AW that will teach you at least the basics.

My first novel? Didn't even try to sell it. Of course, I was twelve. Didn't try to sell my second, either (I was fifteen). There's a learning curve. Don't worry about the competition yet. You need to have a book in order to sell one.

[Dustry Joe]

You don't mention your age. But my guess is your're still fairly young. Let me suggest that the little "nerd within" that actually does our writing for us knows that you don't yet have the experience and "weight" to write a killer novel. So he's waiting for you to grow up.

Meanwhile, while you're waiting, you should be doing what you need to get ready for the time when you have something to say and a good idea of how to say it.

You do this by writing other stuff. Journals, essays, articles for internet sites, little stories or articles for school or community papers, a private collection of short fiction that might someday make a nice collection.

Try doing a public reading. Go to a poetry reading or open mike of some sort and stand up in front of the inhuman ego-rapists tha go to them and read your work. See how it goes. If they like it, then what are your afraid of? If they boo you and throw rotten fruit on you, well, you'll just have to work harder at showing those fools up, won't you?

I say this instead of "Just Do It" because sometimes it's hard to understand just what you're doing or why. You're writing stuff to prepare the field for your Writer Within to do his stuff. It's kind of not just sitting around waiting for True Love. Everything you do prepares you to deal with it when the time comes.

[NeuroFizz]

There is only one way to find out if you are a writer, and it isn't sitting around agonizing about it. Since everyone else here is throwing around quotes, here's mine: Shit or get off the pot.

I hope you go for it, and if you do, we are all here if you need anything.

[Toothpaste]

And my advice, unlike Dustry Joe, is:

Just do it.

After all the philosophy, after all the worry, after all the talking about it, in the end, you have to just do it. Even if "just doing it" is some of the things Dustry has suggested.

Everyone here has given you great advice, listen to them. I just want to smack you upside the head as well. Because you need it.

You have become too comfortable nursing your fear. It's an excuse people can understand, it's an excuse that sounds romantic and makes you feel like a tortured artist. In the end, you have to just do it. Face the fear. There is no other way.

[zornhau]

I've always wanted to be a writer. I mean since before I could actually write. I remember Judy Blume coming to my school for Authors Day. I got to talk to her personally and I told her how much I wanted to be an author.

I've known my whole life and I always put it off or danced around the "task" of actually sitting my butt down and writing a book. WHY!? I am just so afraid of the time and effort it will take. What if it doesn't even sell? And don't kid yourself by telling me that writing should only be done out of the love of writing. Every writer wants their book to sell.

My teachers, my family, everyone has told me to do it but I'm so scared. Does anyone else feel like this? I guess my reasoning is if I never do it at least people will think I "could" have been a great writer. How lame is that? Okay.....angry, self-loathing rant over.

Quite possibility you are paralysed by How To Write, and Where To Start!

If so, the Uncle Jim thread here is a great place to start. You might also want to read Dwight Swain's (http://zornhau.livejournal.com/tag/dwight+v.+swain)book.

The technical aspects of fiction can be particularly bewildering to those with a strong imagination, who find it almost impossible to read a book with detachment sufficient to analyse it.

[truelyana]

I hate to quote a shoe commercial but:

Just Do It...

What happens happens.

Ditto. Whatever works for you. The 'just do it' for me can often be forced, but I am happy to give it a go even so. I find the 'what happens happens' as a natural approach in leading me to a rewarding effortlessly attempt. You're already on the road, and your admitting that your scared. That's the forefront to the next step, you are braver than you think in acceptancing your trials. Write only if you feel, and not because others are in theatre for you. You are not the audience, remember that. Not of course you set yourself, the task of being there. ;) Good luck.

[Rivana]

Setting yourself up for possible failure is always scary. But forget about the everybody's telling you this or that. At the end of the day it's all about you anyway, and how would you feel when you're on your last days looking back at your life and griping -I could have been a writer? In these matters it's better to regret the things you did than the thing's you were too chicken to do.

[Gray Rose]

Sounds like a perfectionist's problem :)

There are two solutions: either
a) roll your sleeves and get to work, accepting that your first draft is probably not going to be the diamond you envision yourself producing;
or
b) wait until you cannot live without writing (see Dustry Joe's comment above).

I always wanted to be a writer (among other things), but did not write until age 31. So?
Do it when you are ready. It is not a competition.

Best of luck!
Rose

[Jersey Chick]

First of all, I believe that if you write with only publication in mind, you're already setting yourself up for one hell of a reality check. If you're writing because you love to write, and fully expect the first draft to be more crap than gold, you'll find that it isn't as scary. Besides, what's the worst that can happen? You've got pages of crap. So what. You will find with each rewrite, you end up with less and less of the crap and more of the good stuff. The football/ballerina analogy is perfect - Peyton Manning didn't start out as Peyton Manning - he had to work and improve and get rid of the bad habits and all the crap.

And yep - you never know if you don't try. Cheesy, but true. You can spend the rest of your life wondering, "What if..." or you can get over it and find out "what if." Don't make excuses. Write.

[ORION]

Yup. Job nailed it right on the head.
Do you want to be an author or a writer?
When you are a writer you write. You call yourself a writer and that's what you do whether your "real" job is something else. It took me years to actually finish my first novel and it's likely that will never see the light of day. My third one got published. I still am a writer. That's what I do.

[Stormhawk]

Wanting to be an author without BIC is the same as a person who wants to wear a beret and sit in coffee shops and call themselves an artist without doing any of the necessary study...

[WriterInChains]

A friend of mine told me (when I was making lame excuses for why I couldn't learn a new skill) that it might take me 10 years to master it, but those 10 years will pass whether I start practicing or not.

In 10 years when you look back (and you will), what do you want to see? Do you want to see that you worked toward your dream, or do you want to see the excuses you gave for why you didn't? It's all up to you. Write. Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. The only catch is that you are the one who has to live with it, not your friends or family, just you.

ETA: FWIW, I don't think you're a chicken, you sound pretty normal to me. Break a leg, whatever you decide to put your energy into. :)

[David I]

I'm afraid I'm going to be a bit contrary here.

If you can be satisfied doing anything else, please please do that other thing instead.

[lfraser]

My teachers, my family, everyone has told me to do it but I'm so scared. Does anyone else feel like this? I guess my reasoning is if I never do it at least people will think I "could" have been a great writer. How lame is that?

Yep. That was me for most of my life.

Just sit down and write. Just do it. Quit thinking about it, quit worrying about it, and do it.

[mbroadway]

My goodness. You have certainly received a tremendous amount of advice regarding your desire to write. I agree with most everything that's been offered. But I'm going to be extremely blunt, because I think you might need to do a reality check. I'm not intending to offend. I'm just being honest with you.

At some point, if you really want to be a writer, you will write. Until then, your desire is not strong enough to force you to attempt it.

So I would suggest asking yourself these questions:

1. Do I really want to write?

2. Do I really want to go to all the effort of creating a story, a plot line, studying punctuation and grammar rules, developing characters, writing it and editing it, over and over, until it's the best it can possibly be? And still not being certain that it can't be better?

3. Am I capable of writing something that people will want to read?

If you answer "no" to any of those question, then writing is not for you, and you should probably find something else of interest. Something that your interest is so strong in that you can't help from doing it.

If you really want to write, you will, regardless of your lack of experience, your fear, or your time restraints. It's what writers do. They write.

You have stumbled onto an excellent resource in this website. There are people on these boards that will give you constructive critiques of anything you want to post. There are published authors, beginning writers and everything in between.

Best of luck to you, if you ever decide to start.

Michael

[TrickyFiction]

And don't kid yourself by telling me that writing should only be done out of the love of writing.

Unfortunately, it's the truth. See, I've been actually writing since before I even knew there was such a thing as an "author." I do it because it makes me happy. I'm terrified of submission, which is why I can relate to you on one level, but not the other.

I think this is far simpler than you want it to be. A writer is someone who writes. Is that actually what you want to be? Because you can be a writer, right now, unless, as others have said, what you really want is to be a star.

[ishtar'sgate]

The really great thing about writing is that it's private. You don't have to share it with anyone else until you're ready to. Of course writers write to be read and I think it's pretty normal to feel a bit insecure. I allowed no one to read my manuscript until I was good and ready to let them. Find a private place to write and a secure place to keep it. This may seem like nonsense to some but when I began writing my family wasn't all that supportive. I hid it. Knowing that I was the only one that had access to my work let me relax enough to go ahead and write. Eventually I felt like sharing my writing. But first things first. Wanting to write and actually doing it are two different things. I meet many people who tell me they want to write a book one day. Most of them won't. It's a nice romantic notion but writing takes time, effort and perseverance. The only way you'll find out if you have what it takes is to do it. Good luck!
Linnea

[HopelessDreamer]

As everyone else has already said: just write already. Sure, everyone has dreams of success and fame, but the truth is the world can only turn out so many J.D. Salingers or Jane Austens or (insert insert famous author's name here).

I'm going to be honest: at first, your writing probably won't be very good if you haven't written in a long time. When I first started writing my novel (four years ago now), it was absolutely dreadful. But you hone your skill. You edit, you revise, you rewrite... you delete 20K words if it just doesn't work. Being a writer is far from easy. It's been four years and right now I'm only in the beta reader and agenting stage. It will probably be at least another two or three years before I'm published, if I'm published at all.

Being a writer undoubtedly means that you will be faced with failure. Not everyone will like what you write. You will get rejection letters from agents. When you find an agent, you will be rejected by publishers. This is all part of the writing process, but the truth is, you have to at least be willing to put yourself out there. You never know what could happen. Could you imagine if Shakespeare never so much as wrote a sentence out of fear of people reading his works or seeing his plays? If you're not willing to embrace failure, you'll never know success.

So open a Word document, put your fingers on the keyboard, and write.

[Akuma]

This might seem rude, but I'm going to be blunt here. Have you ever written anything?

Like, a short story or a poem? I'm talking about something that wasn't assigned in English class. If you haven't, you don't want to write--you want a romanticized image of an author swimming in praise and (God forbid) wealth.

Sorry dragging that basic question in front of you, but it's a little important just in case.

However, if you have written something from your own initiative and loved it, here's what I recommend you to do. Bring out a piece of paper, or a Word document, or a napkin, anything.

Start writing something. Anything. You can bitch about how you aren't finding your Muse on it. Nothing has to be perfect, nothing has to make sense. Just getting into that mode will do something.

Meat tends to attract the Muse, not the thought of meat.

My apologies if I made any offenses.

[JustGo]

If you're afraid of work, nothing can save you. If you're afraid of failure, remember this:
Writing and failing is like prison. If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger.
Do you have what it takes to get back up? If so, you'll find yourself improving constantly, even if you produce failure after failure. I've thrown away almost everything I've started, but I believe I'm now producing work that, when rewritten, will be publishable.
Every single thing I've written taught me lessons and improved my ability as a writer. I regret nothing and never cared much when I threw away months, sometimes years worth of work - because as Bulgakov said, "Manuscripts don't burn." If it was any good, it may show up again some day.
If you can't bear to do that, you may be in trouble.

[jasperd]

First of all, I would like to thank everyone that responded. Everyone had brilliant advice to share. I'm blown away! You guys are so very supportive.

Secondly, I do actually write. I have many published articles. I have probably written a thousand poems (pretty close no doubt :)) but I have never committed to writing something so time consuming as a novel. 100,000 is a daunting number. That's why I've always put off.

Someone made a perfectionist remark which I am horribly guilty of.

I actually have several ideas and my mind feels like it's going to explode sometimes becuase of all the stories and characters I have running around in there. I'm just a chicken. Plain and simple.

I tried something last night, though. I tried writing 1,000 words just to see how long it would take. 30 minutes!!! So that's what I'm committing to each day.

Thanks so much for all the support. I feel confident in knowing that I have a network of like minded people to come to as I stumble through my imperfect, first novel. Thanks again!

[TrickyFiction]

I tried something last night, though. I tried writing 1,000 words just to see how long it would take. 30 minutes!!! So that's what I'm committing to each day.

That's a perfect goal. You can totally do that.

[DancingMaenid]

I actually have several ideas and my mind feels like it's going to explode sometimes becuase of all the stories and characters I have running around in there. I'm just a chicken. Plain and simple.


You know, I can be much the same way at times. I think perfectionism has a lot to do with it. Even though I've heard it a million times, it's only recently that I've finally started accepting that most of what I write will not be perfect and it will probably all need a lot of revising and editing in order to be good--and that this is how it is for most people.

I understand that becoming a published author is an important goal to you, but it might be a good idea, while keeping that goal, to put it on the back burner and create some more immediate goals that you have more control over. I think deciding on time that you'll spend writing and how much you'll try to write is a good start at this. When I find it hard to keep at it, I find it helpful to make goals like trying to finish a scene I've been having trouble depicting. It's something in my control, and it gets stuff done.


3. Am I capable of writing something that people will want to read?


I agree with you on everything else, but I don't fully agree with this, because I think it's something that can be developed sometimes. A lot of people may not really think in terms of an audience when they first start writing. For instance, I started when I was 12 and didn't really care about anyone seeing my stories except for my parents, who were naturally pleased just by the fact that my name was on it. It wasn't until I started getting more serious that I really started taking anything else into account.

[RLSMiller]

I tried something last night, though. I tried writing 1,000 words just to see how long it would take. 30 minutes!!! So that's what I'm committing to each day.

1,000 words in 30 minutes? Now you're making me feel insecure! ;)

Good luck. It seems like you're on the right track. :)

[Nakhlasmoke]

I find it weird that some people are telling you that if you haven't written anything in a while, that means you are not a writer.

I didn't write for about five years. Slowly, I edged back into it, and yes, everything I wrote was dreadful. I needed to write though, and I kept at it, and hopefully my work is a whole lot better now.

But that doesn't take away from the fact that for five years I had no urge to write anything more complicated than a shopping list.

People have given you good advice (just do it!) and bad-ish* (real writers write and so we are real writers and you are not.) You'll soon enough work out how you feel about writing, and if you decide to stick with it - good for you, and if you don't, then I'm sure you will one day find the thing that sets you on fire.

Whatever path you take, good luck.

*I say bad-ish because yes, writers write, but it gets on my nerves when people say that unless you do exactly as they do--2k a day or whatever goal they've set for themselves--then you're just a wannabe.

[cletus]

1,000 words in 30 minutes? Now you're making me feel insecure! ;)

Good luck. It seems like you're on the right track. :)
I don't think I can even type that fast, much less think about what I'm writing.:D

[Bubastes]

Secondly, I do actually write. I have many published articles. I have probably written a thousand poems (pretty close no doubt :)) but I have never committed to writing something so time consuming as a novel. 100,000 is a daunting number. That's why I've always put off.


Oh, I hear ya. I can write articles and short stories, but a novel just seems so...huge! Here's a great little article that helps put the 100,000 number in some perspective.

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?id=6854

[jasperd]

1,000 words in 30 minutes? Now you're making me feel insecure! ;)

Good luck. It seems like you're on the right track. :)

Typing is my day job. Doing it 8 hours a day can be a bit mind-numbing but all that practice comes in handy when I'm actually writing what I want to write :)

[Thrillride]

Yup. Job nailed it right on the head.
Do you want to be an author or a writer?
When you are a writer you write. You call yourself a writer and that's what you do whether your "real" job is something else. It took me years to actually finish my first novel and it's likely that will never see the light of day. My third one got published. I still am a writer. That's what I do.

'Kay, I'm gonna jump in here and ask what I think is an obvious question.

Feel free to slap me around if I am wrong (and I know you will).

Can't I have both? Personally, I have been in love with the written word my whole life. Reading is a great passion - since I could see, I think. But the words. How they look. The actual forms they make on the paper. And don't get me started on the meanings. So many words - we can get so specific. Precise.
I have goosebumps.

I love words and sentences and riviting stories. I love creating them and painting my description for others.
And yet. I refuse to play coy and say that I only write for myself. I don't only write for myself. I write for readers. I write to be read. I am not a literary genius. I do not write with philosophical depth. I am not trying to change the world. God bless those writers who are and do.

I am a born entertainer. I want to bring my characters to life for you. I want them to make you laugh and cry and close the book with the idea that somehow these people walk our planet. I want to take the reader to the places other writers have always taken me with their novels.

And I want to have them published, dammit! I DO want to have someone pay me for my work someday. I don't care about Oprah - that's not a focus for me (although, Oprah, if you're reading this, it's not that I don't think you are cool). But I want to travel to towns I haven't seen and booksign. That's part of the goal. I want BOTH. To write. And to be an author.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

~Thrill

[jasperd]

Amen!

[JeanneTGC]

I'm afraid I'm going to be a bit contrary here.

If you can be satisfied doing anything else, please please do that other thing instead.
Satisfaction is one thing. Joy is another.

I'm satisfied with what I do for a living. Writing gives me joy. It gave me joy before I thought I'd ever show what I wrote to anyone. It gave me joy when I thought it was just a hobby. And it gave me joy when I decided it was what I WAS, versus what I did.

If someone wants to follow their bliss or their joy, go for it. But that's really the point of what most have said on this thread -- GO for it. The time spent on fretting (or on envy) is time spent not doing the thing that brings you joy. And which might, if all goes well and you persevere, turn out to bring you income as well.

[RLSMiller]

Typing is my day job. Doing it 8 hours a day can be a bit mind-numbing but all that practice comes in handy when I'm actually writing what I want to write :)

Technically I can manage 98 words per minute if I know what I'm typing, but my brain just doesn't work fast enough to do 1000 words in 30 mins. I procrastinate too much. Woe is me. :(

[Straka]

Certainly after college I was presented with a big question that I honest still tackle with (and suspect I always will) 3 years later. The question is “How do I want to spend my days?”

Writing has become increasingly important and I work harder at my art now than I ever did in college. Yet I had a job and the helps of others to contend with. Balance is key but to write sometimes have to be selfish and make extra room for it.

Right now, if I had a decent part time job that I liked with benefits, and I pulled a decent income from published works that would be ideal.

Realistically that’s years away if ever.

[Straka]

A friend of mine told me (when I was making lame excuses for why I couldn't learn a new skill) that it might take me 10 years to master it, but those 10 years will pass whether I start practicing or not.

My friend said that concerning playing an instrument. He was amazing at the guitar but admitted he really knew nothing because he could see the greater picture.

[Willowmound]

Wanting to be an author without BIC is the same as a person who wants to wear a beret and sit in coffee shops and call themselves an artist without doing any of the necessary study...


Wanting to be an author without BIC is like wanting to be an explorer without leaving the house.

Face the fear.

(Or be more scared of the alternative. That's what I am)