It started to stress me out!
Then I realized I was asking myself the wrong questions. No
two writers are the same. What works for someone else won’t work for me,
because of our goals. So I changed the questions to: What’s my goal in writing?
What do I hope to get out of it?
And then it clicked! And relieved me a great deal. I didn’t
start out to make a LIVING at writing books. I mean, if that happens, GREAT.
But when I started that path to publication, my main goal was to obtain a fun
retirement job, to make enough for fun trips. Do I need to write 2-3-4 books a
year to get that? Gosh, I hope not. I don’t know if I’d enjoy writing as much
if that were the case.
As it is, I’m still waiting on earning that fun money. Good
thing Hubby hasn’t retired yet, because it’ll probably take a few more published
books before we see any of that money. And that’s okay. I’m in no hurry,
because he’s in no hurry to retire.
It’s just as well, because publishing is not a
get-rich-quick endeavor. You have to be patient for that long haul. Good thing
I have patience!
Writing will be my forever retirement job, though. I love
how it can go wherever I go. And if I manage to write more than one book a
year, yay! But I can’t let it get me down if I don’t, because that isn’t my
overall goal.
So I’ll stay on the slow and steady pace I’m on. It’ll
eventually pay off and it won’t stress me out. I’ve got enough stress without
adding to it.
So… Is it hot where you are? Today is the first day of Fall.
And it’s one of the hottest days of the year around here. I’m starting to think
the calendar got a little screwed up this year. Not that I’m looking forward to
cooler weather. I’m not. Really!
Happy Fall!
6 comments:
You shouldn't do it just to make money, that's for sure.
I'm a slow writer. I never got into it to retire. (I never planned on writing more than one book, either!) Any money is all bonus.
Back when I was writing, that whole 'churn out 3-4 books a year' came out. I felt like such a slackard. There was no way I could put out that much material.
My real enjoyment is blogging. Like writing novels, I can take it anywhere. ...now if I could only go somewhere!
You write at the rate you write at. Some are fast, some are slow. If you produce one completed manuscript a year (at normal speed) and you push to do 2, 3 or 4, I suspect it would not be fun anymore. And if you want to feel better about your rate of production, I'm on a 1-1/2-2 year schedule, it seems!
After some downright miserable weather at hte end of August/early September, where we had to consider putting up the heat, we have had a run of warm, sunny days. Weather report is calling for three or four straight days of 81 degree highs. Beautiful! What worries me, though, is that the leaves seem to be turning faster and earlier than normal. Hopefully not a harbinger of early/bad winter!
Alex - So many people still associate being a writer = being rich (Castle, anyone?). So wish that were true!
Maria - You SHOULD go somewhere. Take that cruise!! I get such awesome writing done on a cruise. :)
Jeff - If I push out more books than is normal for me, it won't only not be fun, I don't think those books would be any good. As for early/bad winter: a friend told me seeing more skunks doesn't bode well for a mild winter and we've been seeing way more than usual. Ugh.
Yeah, this weather is crazy! But that's Ohio for you, huh?
I love your right questions! So smart of you to realize it, too. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the pressure of what "everyone else" is doing, and we need to remind ourselves of what *we* want. You go!
Jennette - I guess I better enjoy this warm weather while we got it, huh? I'm afraid of what this winter will bring! :)
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