A Writer Should Write Because They Love to Write

I had a rough day at work today. One of my buddies made a comment to me. “I bet you wish you were done with that book of yours so you could quit this place.” I answered the same way as I always do. “I can’t ever afford to quit my day job.” While my body isn’t getting any younger, and I like to fantasize how much fun it would be if I ever won the lottery, I KNOW that there are NO get rich quick schemes in writing.

When I write, I’m motivated by a lot of things. I see my writing as a form of therapy. I see it as an answer to the age-old question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I see it as a pleasurable way to kick back after a long day. I take all the funny and crazy parts of my day, and the filter bits and pieces of the people I meet into my characters. I write because I really do enjoy the whole process, even though there are times when I want to pull out my own hair because my characters won’t cooperate with me!

I don’t write to get rich or to be famous. I’d LOVE to see “real” copies of my books sitting on my own bookshelf, if anyone else wants to read my stories too, well that’s just gravy. I know there are success stories out there, but I think of these stories as the exception, not the rule.

A writer should write because they love to write. I think it’s just that simple.