“My income from writing increases every day” and ”It’s not about the money” might seem like opposing ideas when it comes to what motivates me, as a writer, to write. But they’re not.
This is why.
I love to write. And I always will write whether or not I get paid for it. Nobody offered me a cent for my first song; my first play maybe made enough to pay for the flyers and a party at the end of the six night run, and recording and releasing albums or writing and publishing novels has never been motivated by what might be in it for me as much as what can I put in it OF me.
Everything.
I put everything into my writing. I often feel like it is the only place I can GIVE everything I have—if I’m brave enough, vulnerable enough and, yes, reckless enough too. And, though maybe I’m not always immediately rewarded with cash, I do get so much back. Yes, my income from the sales of eBooks and novels is continually growing (slow and steady, they say, wins the race) but my ‘income’ also comes in other ways. Mainly in people.
The rewards I get from making connections—however fleetingly, at times (hello fellow fly-by bloggers) with people who are enlivened in some way by what I have written keep me going; knowing someone will read this and ‘get it’ is enough to drive me on past the ‘I’ve-been-battling-with-a-Createspace-word-template-all-day-and-I’m-still-not-done blues’ to sit down and finish the tenth in my series of writing affirmation blog posts.
Wherever you are, whoever you are, here it is. For you, from me. No. 10 of a bunch of pithy sayings which might inspire you as they inspire me to get past the humps we all face when writing our hearts out and wondering if we’re ever going to make enough to keep in printer ink cartridges for as long as we need to ‘send to print’.
Now if only I could find that template for a hundred-dollar bill, maybe I’d really be in business!
:)
Happy writing. Or whatever you do to feel alive and a sense of purpose. For love. Always for love.
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P.S. Like this post? If so you might also like one of these other ‘Write Thought Tees’:
No. 1 - A Writing Affirmation for everyone
No. 2 - Brevity is the soul of Twit
No. 3 - How to write for one person
No. 4 - Write what you love (and maybe they will come)!
No. 5 - Want to write better? Write this…
No. 6 - How to make others happy by being yourself
No. 7 - All my writing is of the highest quality
No. 8 - Does what you do matter?
No. 9 – I have written a bestseller
Rishabh Upadhyay
/ August 8, 2012To write well is surely a way to pay back something that we learn from the society. Creative writing is as beautiful as a musical tune or a famous picture. Writing for money is never a good idea, should infect let writing work for money. Happy writing.. :)
Elyse
/ August 8, 2012Wait. I’m not making money off this? Damn. Who knew!
Allen C. Dexter
/ August 9, 2012So far, my writing hasn’t made me a cent. I’m planning to change that, mainly so I can afford to continue. Like you, I write because I love to write and I get things off my chest that way.