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.
