Five Reasons to Keep Writing

The cholla are starting to come into bloom here. Love seeing the desert pop with the pink and yellow.

So, last week we all did our best to talk ourselves out of writing. Some of the posts were pretty damn funny, too. I particularly liked Linda's and Marcella's.

But what are good reasons to keep writing? Here are mine.

1. Simple logic: continuing to write = producing stories

Okay, it's not a guarantee. But this is kind of like proving a hypothesis. I can be certain of the reverse - if I don't write, then there are no stories. Also, one of those most brilliant aspects of writing - maybe of creativity in general, I don't know - is that the more you do, the more there is. Writing more means I'm able to write more easily. That's the number one reason to write. Writing is an act that opens the gates. Getting that flow is one of the best feelings in the world. Maybe the flow won't happen. It doesn't every time. But it *definitely* won't flow without the act of writing in the first place.

2. Excuse to stalk authors

I've said this before, but one of the best perks of being an author is getting to be friends with people who write the books you love as a reader. The friendships I have with other authors are some of the best ones of my life. Having published books gives you a pass that changes creepy stalking into a professional exchange. Of course, having published books only happens if you keep writing. See #1.

3. Tax-deductible books, free books, early books

 Did I mention books?? Yes, I deduct all of the money I spend on books. I'd buy them anyway, but being an author transforms book buying from indulgence to professional research. It's one of the best gigs ever. Also, my friends give me their books. We trade. If I want to read the next book in a favorite series early, I need only ask. It's amazing and my bookworm younger self have never quite gotten over how sweet it is.

4. Reduced chance of insanity

Writing might make me feel crazy in some ways and at some times. (See last week's post.) But not writing absolutely makes me feel crazy. I can feel it creeping in when I take a break. There's an ideal space of time in there. I take a break between books or revisions, to allow the well to refill. It helps to do this, but I have to do this judiciously. Too long and it's hard to get the flow going again. (See #1.) Worse, once the well has refilled, it begins to overflow, which means I feel like I'm filling up with this stuff that has nowhere to go. I become bloated and stagnant with it. It feels like depression. It might end up there if I let it go too long.

5. Best freaking job in the world

Seriously. It might not be the easiest way to make money. Certainly many writers may never make a whole lot of money. But I find it pretty awesome that I can get paid to write stories. I get to write what I love, play around with ideas and characters, romp through worlds that I create and make be exactly how I want them to be. AND I get money for this??

BEST FREAKING JOB IN THE WORLD!

The Poor Pessimist's Guide to Not Writing

I'm not much good at being a pessimist.

Seriously. It's not that I'm a rose-colored glasses person (actually, maybe I am...), but I'm blessed to have optimistic body chemistry. Happy is my default emotional state. In college, I was a peer counselor, which involved pretty intensive training over ten weeks, with a full Saturday devoted to particular topics. For suicide, we were all assigned to think about what in our own selves would drive us to contemplate doing that. It dovetailed with an acting class assignment to perform a solo scene without words. So I created a scene of a woman committing suicide with pills. (I used pine nuts and the flavor of those still reminds me of that sense of despair I created.) It was incredibly difficult for me to get to that place.

As I recall, my acting teacher thought I didn't quite manage. LOL! Of course, there are a number of reasons I'm a writer, not an actress.

ANYWAY. This week's topic in the bordello is The Pessimist's Top 5 Reasons to Never Write. As a failed pessimist, here's my stab at it.

1.  The persistent fear that the next book will be the one that sucks
   
   I can't shake this one. Is it just me? I'm forever worrying that the book I'm writing will be terrible. I also fret that ones that are out are actually terrible - no matter the praise - and that people aren't telling me the truth. I'm not like this about anything else in my life.
   
2. The daily dread that I won't make wordcount
   
   This one is rich. Every day I start writing with the fear that I won't hit my planned number of words. Sometimes I procrastinate on starting, because I'm afraid the words won't flow. Crazy.
   
3.  I could make money more easily in other ways
   
   Right? Making money as a writer is not easy. It takes a long time and is never a sure thing. And, if I think too much about making money, that gets in the way of the story. I still make much more money at my day job and it's not nearly as difficult. For example, I never worry that my next report to the EPA will be the one that sucks. :-)
   
4.  I'll never write a book as good as...
   
   [Insert name of much-loved book here]
   
5.  It gets in the way of my reading
   
   One of the sad truths of writing is it takes away from reading - both in time and pure enjoyment. It's difficult now to divorce my writer's brain when I'm reading and I'm much pickier about books now than I used to be. Alas. Also, the books really pile up these days (see last week's post.)

So, much like I associate suicidal despair with the taste of pine nuts, writing this now has me thinking about all of the craziness that comes with being a writer. I suspect the take-home message here is that not one of these things would exist if I didn't care so passionately and deeply about books and writing. That's what it comes down to for me. My day job is a job - one I enjoy and believe in
- but being a writer is... being alive. Which is why I write despite all of these neurotic fears.

Maybe, in some ways, I write BECAUSE of them. Next week will be the optimist's turn. Much more my natural habitat. :-)

Also...

I've been over at Harlequin Junkie, with an interview and giveaway. I asked readers to comment on what posts topics they like to see from authors. The answers are pretty illuminating! One thing a number of them mentioned is teasers from work in progress. Which I never do. So, I'm testing the theory and I challenge the other Word Whores to do so! Here's a little teaser from book 4 of The Twelve Kingdoms, THE PAGES OF THE MIND.

*******

The ladies oohed, put the last touches on her hair and the subtle makeup Ursula had agreed to, and bowed out to take their places in the hall. Ursula remained still for a moment longer, a somber expression on her face as she studied herself in the mirror, making me wonder what she saw there.

“Nervous?” Harlan asked her, before I could, which meant he earned the glare instead.

“I’m having a big piece of jewelry stuck on my head,” she retorted. “What’s to be nervous about?”

 

The Not Writing Creative Outlet

The things I do other than writing:

1. Sing - sang professionally for a short bit, mostly for a medieval minstrel troupe. I can, indeed, still sing a couple of songs from right around the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. This is galling, mind you, because I went to an arts college. But not for music, where I made far and away more money than I ever made in my degree field which was:

2. Acting. Ah, yes. The much vaunted BFA in acting. Did some acting. Mostly extra and bit parts in commercials, TV shows and films that were in town. That faded as most shows moved north into Canada where it is apparently cheaper and easier to film. So then I went back to stage shows, mostly Shakespeare. Even helped choreograph fight scenes since I did come away with a certification in staged combat. Another skill that I'm sure will come in handy some day. Zombie apocalypse, maybe. Most of my acting these days is relegated to staging and playing out contentious scenes in a story. Helps to be able to get up, get into a character and look at a scene that way.

3. Taking pictures. This is the only place I actually have photos to offer up. And please note that while I *like* taking pictures, I make no claim that I'm actually any good at it. It's just a way to force my vision from the interior of my head to the world outside. Dead useful.

 

This first shot, left, is sunset over the Olympic mountains. The rocks in the foreground are the breakwater protecting our marina. Forest fires in California and in Eastern Washington threw smoke high into the atmosphere and gave us a summer of unbelievable sunsets.

 

 Then I had to get a moon shot. Everyone else was getting the super moon, but my camera and I aren't equipped to get shots of the brilliant full moon. That takes tripods, stability, and filters. Far easier and far more effective for me to go for a dimmer gibbous. This image is impressive because I took it from the transom of the boat. On water. Love my Nikon.

 

The last image is from a beach walk. I found a great blue heron just off shore, taking advantage of the low tide. While I'd really wanted a shot of him snagging his breakfast from the water, his fishing expedition wasn't much of a success. He made a few grabs, but failed to bring up the goods. What I do like about the shot is the detail in the feathers on his wing. Contrast isn't the greatest, but hey. This is why I'm not attempting to make any kind of living from taking pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally. There's this thing happening Tuesday 11/18. The second installment in Isa's adventures comes out. May I ask for your assistance on Tuesday? I could use the help getting the word out. I will certainly post to Twitter and Facebook and the like, but my reach is limited. If you'll do this, I promise I'll stop singing.

 

"Like to a friar bold Robin Hood disguised himself one daaaaaaaay..."