Why Bother To Write?

 

One more post from the past. It was published in a writer's newsletter some years ago.

Does it sometimes appear that writing is meant to defeat a writer rather than buoy her to great heights? Do you ever wonder why in the world you're beating your head against the writing wall? Have you asked yourself “If it is this hard to become a widely published writer, why bother?”

We bother because we enjoy stringing words to make sentences, sentences to make paragraphs and paragraphs to create a story. We bother because there is something satisfying to our soul when we write. We bother because we are inspired by thoughts spinning through our minds, thoughts wanting to be sifted and sorted and put together coherently.

We bother, and I include myself here, because we love to write. We bother because we have something to say. We bother because we may want to prove something to ourselves. We bother because we know that the more we write, the more we grow as a writer.

We bother because we've had positive feedback from readers. We bother because we've had some encouraging rejections from editors. We bother because we've had enough acceptances to know that we are not a washout as a writer. We bother because we have something to offer to others. We bother because we’d miss writing too much if we stopped.

Now, aren't those enough reasons to stay on the writing journey? They are for me, and I hope you feel the same. Just keep in mind that there is no express elevator. You move up one step at a time.

This And That In My Writing World--And Yours

Yesterday's post, Why Bother? received a lot of attention and some comments. It confirmed my premise that we have all asked that to ourself at some time or another in our writing life. 

Michelle Monet has started a new site for Memoir writers called Women Writing Memoir. She features articles that pertain to memoir writing. I received an invitation to submit an article, so, since I write short memoir, I wrote an essay on the same and sent it to her. It was published today. You can read How About Only A Wee Bit Of Memoir here. Note there is a place on the left side to share or to clap if you like the essay. If you read it, can you clap for me? It would be appreciated. It appears you can clap as many times as you like. Easy enough to stuff the ballot box!

I received notice of a need for new stories for a new Chicken Soup for the Soul book titled Think Positive, Live Happy. An earlier book with the same theme was so popular that they are planning another. Go to the Possible Books page to read more about the kind of stories they are seeking. There are six books listed with this latest one being at the very end of the page. I like that they give a list of possible topics to give you some inspiration or to trigger a memory. I study that list pretty carefully and hope a memory pops up or an inspiration appears like lightning on a stormy day. The deadline date is not until April 30, 2019, so you have plenty of time to write and submit a story. (And also edit and revise a few times!)

My local newspaper did a story about me this week. The publicists from Chicken Soup for the Soul notify the local media of the writers in the latest book. A reporter called and asked if he could interview me. We spent a half hour together and he wrote a very nice article which appeared on the front page of our local newspaper.

As writers, we should be able to write good book reviews on Amazon or GoodReads or for your local newspaper. When we read a book we enjoyed, do we always take the time to write a review? I think there will be lots of answers like Sometimes, Never, Occasionally. We tend to write a review for a fellow writer who hopes we'll give a 'gushingly good' review. They're hoping to sell books, so why wouldn't they want that kind of review? When I review a book for a writer I know, I always tell them that I will be completely honest. I absolutely cannot give 5 stars to a book that I don't feel merits that number. You can help the writers you know and other readers by writing a review. If I hate a book, there is no way I will bother with it. It's not in my nature to hurt others in any way. If interested in writing reviews, take a look at this article.

Have you done anything about joining a writers' group of some kind? I have gained a lot of knowledge and made some contacts with other writers, some of whom I now call 'good friend.' Don't tell me that you are doing just fine without belonging to any writing organization or writing critique group. I might accept that you are doing alright without them, but I think you'll do even better with them in your writing life.

There are a lot of links for you to check out in today's post. I put them there to give you some tips and encourage you to think about your own writing life, too.

Why Bother? A Question For Writers

Yesterday's post was about getting discouraged as a writer. Late last evening, I remembered a short piece I'd written to submit to a writing newsletter. It seemed to fit quite well with the earlier post.

Why Bother?

Does it sometimes appear that writing is meant to defeat a writer rather than buoy her to great heights? Do you ever wonder why in the world you're beating your head against the writing wall? Have you asked yourself “If it is this hard to become a widely published writer, why bother?”

We bother because we enjoy stringing words to make sentences, sentences to make paragraphs and paragraphs to create a story. We bother because there is something satisfying to our soul when we write. We bother because we are inspired by thoughts spinning through our minds, thoughts wanting to be sifted and sorted and put together coherently.

We bother, and I include myself here, because we love to write. We bother because we have something to say. We bother because we may want to prove something to ourselves. We bother because we know that the more we write, the more we grow as a writer.

We bother because we've had positive feedback from readers. We bother because we've had some encouraging rejections from editors. We bother because we've had enough acceptances to know that we are not a washout as a writer. We bother because we have something to offer to others. We bother because we’d miss writing too much if we stopped.

Now, aren't those enough reasons to stay on the writing journey? They are for me, and I hope you feel the same. Just keep in mind that there is no express elevator. You move up one step at a time.

Guest Blogger Four: Why I Write

Joan Lambert Bailey

Joan Lambert Bailey is another writer who lives in Japan but she was born and raised in the USA. Her work appears in Japanese magazines on a regular basis. She is especially interested in farming in Japan.She also writes thoughtful essays and fiction.  Read Joan's response to my three questions. 

1.  Why do you write?

2.  What does it satisfy within?

3.  How do you keep your passion for writing alive and well?

Joan's Response

One of my earliest memories is of sitting at a table in the cool of our basement with an illustrated version of Audubon’s The Birds of America and pen and paper trying to copy the words. My mother paused as she passed me on her way upstairs with a basket of laundry. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m practicing,” I said looking up at her, pen still in my hand.

“For what?”

“I’m going to be a writer,” I replied.

What her reaction was I don’t recall, but my conviction never wavered. Even if writing wasn’t always my primary job, I always managed to weave it into my work. Now, it is my official title.

Writing is who I am, how I express myself, how I find myself, how I discover the world and subsequently sort through whatever I find. I write because I want to share stories of the people I meet and the work they do because words live forever and telling those stories is a gift for the future. I write because stories bring people together when nothing else will. Stories remind us of our shared humanity, open us up to other lives, beliefs, and experiences in a way that nothing else does.

Telling stories well, though, is another thing altogether. I’ve been at this my whole life, and one of the great joys of this work is also one of its great challenges: there is so much to learn. My craft is like any other. It must be cultivated daily, refined, and new techniques studied. It takes practice and time and plenty of reading, listening, and reflecting. I have to challenge myself or I become stagnant.

It is that very practice, though, that fuels and engages me. I write daily, first thing in the morning for about an hour or whatever time it takes to produce three written pages. I write about whatever comes to mind, events of the previous day, books or articles I’ve read, conversations had or overheard. It is invaluable fodder for future essays, articles or pieces underway, or just trying out new forms.

When my Muse runs off and hides, a little more effort is required. Some writers take a break when this happens, but I don’t. Writing is passion and livelihood, so I have to entice my Muse back home. At those times, I focus on the things I love to do and write about: gardening and farming, cooking and travel. I grab a hat and gloves and go to my garden to work, take a trip, or head to the kitchen to make something I crave. My mind roams free while my hands knead dough or stake and trim tomato plants, my Muse comes to see what I’m doing and inspiration returns.

I also hunt for stories that will rejuvenate my interest. I recently interviewed an urban farmer, a chef of a farm-to-table restaurant, and a farmer who teaches others how to save seeds from Japanese heirloom vegetables. By focusing on telling their story well, I remember what it is that I love best about my work and why I am compelled to do it. After all, I’m a Writer

Bio:

Joan Bailey is an American writer living in Japan where her work focuses on food, farming, and farmers markets. Find more of her work at Joandbailey.com or Japanfarmersmarkets.com

Do You Know Why You Write?

I firmly believe you can only be a writer if you love the act of writing. If you listed all the reasons people write, this would be number 1 on my list. 

My List of Reasons People Write:

1. love writing
2. an internal urge
3. a dream of being published
4. someone pushed them into it
5. to earn a living
6. fame
7. recognition
8. word people
9. to prove they can do it
10. to offer something to others

Go through the list. How many apply to you? Which one would you list as your top choice? 

The poster today makes number 1 the most important one, just as I did. The part about becoming famous or making a lot of money should be side benefits to the deep love you have for writing. 

If you're in this game only for the fame and earnings, I think your writing is going to lack something that people who love to write have. Those who have a real passion for writing allow it to emerge through the words they string together to create a story or essay.

Later this month, I am going to have a series of posts written by Guest Bloggers on the topic of why they write. I'm looking forward to learning what reasons they all have in common and some that perhaps only one of the group will give. 

Give some thought today to the reasons that you write. Put them in any order or list them as which ones are your top priorities. You may have others to add to the ten I shared with you. 

The Writer's Journey--Potholes and Smooth Road

Pamela Morsi, author of The Cotton Queen, created a character by the name of Babs Hoffman. It's a mother-daughter story and Babs is the mother. One of her quotes in the book is our poster for today. 

It's good advice for writers. You all have hit the potholes in your writing journey. Some years, there are more than others. Instead of hitting them head on and jarring your brain into insensibility, look for them and then swerve right around each one. 

Stop if you must and deal with whatever the pothole holds but don't dwell on it. Take care of it as best you can and then move along on your journey and enjoy it. 

Once you have addressed the problem in the pothole, don't let it take over your thoughts. Instead, think about the smooth parts of your writing path. There are plenty of those. Think about the acceptances and publications you've had. How about the praise from your writing group? Or perhaps you've won a contest or two while on your writing journey.

You've made friends with other writers and maybe even some of your readers. You've enjoyed a great many of the writing projects you've tackled. Even derived a lot of satisfaction from some. 

Worrying about what is in those potholes behind you doesn't change a thing. Whatever happened will always be a part of your past writing journey. But it's done. Keep pedaling along on the smooth sections of the road. 

Most of us continue to write because we do find pleasure in the craft. We develop a passion for the written word. Sometimes, we write because we absolutely must; something inside us lets us know that writing is a major part of who we are. 

Why Bother To Write?

Why in the world would anyone want to be a writer and subject him/herself to all of the things mentioned in the poster above? Today's post is a repeat of one from last year that answers that question. It's all still relevant today. 

Why Bother?

Does it appear that writing is meant to defeat a writer rather than buoy him/her to great heights? It may make you wonder why in the world you're beating your head against the writing wall if it is this hard to become a widely published writer. Why bother?

We bother, and I include myself here, because we love to write. We bother because we have something to say. We bother because we may want to prove something to ourselves. We bother because we know that the more we write, the more we grow as a writer. We bother because we've had positive feedback from readers. We bother because we've had some encouraging rejections from editors. We bother because we've had enough acceptances to know that we are not a washout as a writer. 

Now, aren't those enough reasons to stay on the writing journey? I think so. Just keep in mind that there is no express elevator. You move up one step at a time.

We Write Because...

There are so many fine quotes attributed to Maya Angelou. The one above can easily be about the reason we write. Have you ever given serious thought to why you write?

One of the main reasons is that a writer is a person who has something to say. Being able to put our thoughts down in words that others will read is a gift. At least, I think that it is a gift but there are some who would dispute that. I've read more than once that, given the right tools, anyone can learn to write.

I suppose that has some truth to it but I have a feeling that the people who become writers via the giving of tools and instruction don't necessarily write from the heart. They don't always find a voice that is unique to them. There may not be passion in their writing. Will their readers feel the emotion?

Perhaps it is those gifted writers who bring us the fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry that entertains so very many readers. These people write because they care; sometimes they write because they are driven to by some inner feeling or need. I remember reading a quote by an author whose name I cannot remember right now, but the quote was "I just can't not write!" Not grammatically perfect but the idea comes through loud and clear. These 'gifted' writers have a way with words that others do not. If you're one of them, be proud and keep on writing to share with others.

Even when a writer has a gift for writing, he/she cannot ignore acquiring those tools and instruction. They're important for all writers and will help refine whatever gift for writing he/she might have. It's kind of like that old argument as to what makes us who we are--genetics or environment. It's some of both and so it is with we who write.

And like the bird in the quote, we may not have all the answers in what we write but we write because we can.

Why Bother? Here's Why!

How many times have I written about the difficulty of the writing game? Too many to count; I am quite sure of that. Even so, I think it's a topic worth visiting again and again. Too many writers ask themselves Why bother? after they run into repeated problems.

I am often reminded of the woman who learned she had a talent for writing stories, loved writing and decided to quit her day job and write full time. She could, she reasoned, supplement the family income with the sales she'd make. She figured she'd be money ahead with no travel expense to go to a job elsewhere, no increased wardrobe purchases, no lunches purchased at a restaurant. It sounded perfectly plausible. 

It didn't work out that way. Yes, she did have a talent for writing creative nonfiction, but all writers soon learn that the writing is only step one. Marketing what you've written is step two and it's a very big step. Where we send what we write is every bit as important as what we write. We need to find the best fit for what we write--whether it is fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or essays. I sometimes think that some writers have a marketing gift. They have what appears to be incredible luck in placing their work. 

On pondering it further, I wouldn't deem it pure luck. Study market guides long enough and you're bound to come up with a reasonable plan as to where and how to submit your work. I didn't say read or scan the market guides. The word used is study. If you thought you were through with studying once you got out of school, think again. 

Submitting to and being accepted more than once by a publication is gravy on top of plain mashed potatoes. When you sell your work multiple times to a publication, two positives come your way. The editor knows who you are and likes your work so gives serious consideration to all your submissions. It doesn't mean he/she will accept everything you send but probably a good portion. Second positive is that readers of that publication begin to recognize your work, too. 

Another step on this road to a successful writing journey is keep the submission ferris wheel turning at all times. Don't submit two pieces of writing in March and then none until July. Be consistent in submitting. Get a rejection? Submit it somewhere else. If you've studied those marketing guides, you'll likely have a second and third place to submit to. 

I was once told that 1 out of 12 submissions makes it. Where the man who gave those figures got his information, I'm not sure. But, he was a frequently published writer and he still got plenty of rejections. That figure was given me 20 years ago so that may have changed radically by now. The point is that we can expect a relatively small percentage of our submisions to make it.

Does it appear that writing is meant to defeat a writer rather than buoy him/her to great heights? It may make you wonder why in the world you're beating your head against the writing wall if it is this hard to become a widely published writer. Why bother?

We bother, and I include myself here, because we love to write. We bother because we have something to say. We bother because we may want to prove something to ourselves. We bother because we know that the more we write, the more we grow as a writer. We bother because we've had positive feedback from readers. We bother because we've had some encouraging rejections from editors. We bother because we've had enough acceptances to know that we are not a washout as a writer. 

Now, aren't those enough reasons to stay on the writing journey? I think so. Just keep in mind that there is no express elevator. You move up one step at a time.