Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The Riches of Writing


It is amazing how many people will say “I am going to write a book and get rich, and then I can sit around all day.” The idea of writing a story as a way to get rich fast scheme is often the dream of someone who has not really tried to write or get their stories published. They do not know the hours of work that goes into it and realize that most writers would barely make minimum wage if what they earn was divided across all the hours of thinking, plotting, writing, and editing.

Why write? There is a richness that comes with writing well. It is not in the clink of coins or rub of money. The gold standard that a writer has to measure his or her richness is in the expression of those who read or hear the story. The riches come from the words of “wow, that was great” or “I really liked that story.” The dividend is invested in the “that story made me feel” and in the “that character touched me.”

All writers want to make money and a living on the art we produce. What we make sometimes will not pay the bills, so we work elsewhere. We continue to produce because of the richness that comes from writing, not because we will likely become rich from doing it.

Thank you for reading and please visit www.davidalanlucas.com and www.thewriterslens.com. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.

5 comments:

  1. You're right about the common misperception that most writers make a lot of money from their books. I wish! You don't want to destroy someone's dreams, but sometimes I think a reality check is in order. I recently met a woman who needed thousands to pay medical bills, so she decided to raise money by writing a book about her experience. She may end up being the one who makes it work--I hope so. It just scares me.

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  2. Well said! Two things that have made me feel most alive are reading a great book and writing to make my own contribution to fiction. Every reader who tells me the Okal Rel Saga and associated works means something to them enriches me.

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  3. The first thing my father said when I announced that I would study literature and drama instead of electrical engineering was that I would be doomed to a life of depravity and abject poverty. I had no delusions of a fast track to fame and fortune setting out, I just loved doing it. Over the years I have actually earned some money doing it, but I have also learned so many things that I would never have known had I gone into engineering. Some may find those sojourns into human behavior insignificant or trivial, but to me all those bits of understanding are precious keepsakes.

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  4. A great piece of writing and a reality check too. I think that one should write fiction just for the love of writing. Undoubtedly, it is hard work but there is an element of magic in producing fiction. When you go back to your little story after a gap, it feels nice to think, "Did I really produce that?"

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  5. Writing is my passion but i do not know how to project my self as a writer.I have written a book in Hindi tilted Anand ek khoj [Search of inner peace].I WORKED HARD ON MY BOOK.But since i was a unknown face as a writer no publisher was willing to publish.Ultimately i had to pay for publishing my book.The book was liked by many,but still i could not get recognition as a writer.Pl. suggest.

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