There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t write. Or think about writing. Or wish that I had more time to write. But like many romance writers, that last one – more time to write – is a difficult wish since I still have a full time job. It’s not uncommon to have a job and be a writer. In fact, it’s more common than many people would assume.
“Why?” you may wonder.
Well, the reality is that despite all those multi-million and six figure deals that you may read about the in the news, the average writer’s advance just isn’t all that large, particularly in the romance publishing industry. Just google “Brenda Hiatt” and “Show me the money” to see a rundown of what authors for the major romance publishing houses usually earn out with their novels. It will be an eye opener for sure. Especially if the reason you want to write is to get published and make scads of money.
My firm belief is that you should want to write because you can’t imagine doing anything else. Because you love to write. Because it’s your passion and it doesn’t matter how much you are paid because what you want more than anything else is to share your stories with other people.
It’s tough to keep that passion alive at times. You’ve got family obligations and work obligations. You’re trying to squeeze in your writing between the kids’ softball games, making dinner and finishing a job your boss assigned to you. And once the book is finished, there is the grind of getting it sold and after, the work involved in trying to promote the novel so that it sells well enough that the publisher will want to buy more books from you.
A tough job. So how do you keep the passion for writing alive?
I always advise people to try and find a writing group to which to belong. I’m an active (and founding) member of the Liberty States Fiction Writers. Besides the information you can get from groups like this about the craft and business of writing, there is the friendship and understanding of other writers. It helps during the tough times and also, during the good so that you can celebrate together.
I also ask people to remember why they write. To think about the joy it brings them to think of a story and get it down on paper. To imagine not doing that and how they would feel because there is one thing that makes a true writer – they write. All the time. They have to write to nurture something in their souls, whether or not what they write will ultimately bring monetary reward.
Writing brings reward of its own kind. Satisfaction at completing something. Joy at sharing it with others, whether through publication or other writers.
It’s how I keep my eye on the dream – I think about the happiness that I get from writing and somehow, that makes all the hard stuff about writing just disappear.
