When you strike out to become a writer you have a lot of lofty goals and dreams and ideals. You've watched TV, you've seen movies. If there is a writer on screen they are always struggling with their next idea, their next manuscript, the next thing they must create......BUT THEY ARE STRUGGLING WHILE IN THEIR MILLION DOLLAR LOFT IN DOWNTOWN NEW YORK. Or their beach getaway, or their cabin in the Rockies, or in Paris....the point is they are portrayed as needing to write another book because they have been such a success with the first one.
I'm not saying this level of success doesn't happen for writers, but it doesn't happen for writers.
It's a BS Hollywood dream.
I mean look at Melvin's apartment in AS GOOD AS IT GETS.
GREAT movie, but did you see that place? Huge, 19(ish) rooms, a grand piano, a balcony, loaded with priceless antiques, and all in a city where the average cost per square FOOT is near $2000 dollars.
Read that again.
TWO THOUSAND FREAKING DOLLARS.
I mean really.
So it may have come as a shock that I cannot buy a second home in the mountains on my royalty checks or advances. It may surprise me everytime I walk out into my driveway to get into my 98 Honda Civic instead of my Lamborghini.
It's not that my books don't sell. It's just that real life ain't Hollywood. :)
What? You mean I won't be living the high life in a Manhattan high-rise? Bummer. Although, I did always imagine I'd live somewhere like Joan Wilder's apartment - messy as hell with sticky notes all over the place. And hey, I'm almost there, so it's all good. ;o)
ReplyDeleteYeah - I want my rambling beach house I can retreat to when I'm wrestling with the Next Big Thing, so I can walk the beach and act all mysterious and artsy. And not like I'm wondering how I'll make the mortgage if I blow another deadline.
ReplyDeleteLamborghini? And here I had you pegged as a bugatti galibier guy... LOL.
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