I choose to live extremely simply and cheaply so that I'm not dependent on the proceeds of my writing. If proceeds come, I am happy, but I want the real work to be focused on my unique contribution and my own growth as a writer and thinker.
You have to love the process, the creative act. So much of all of this is luck- what is trending, who gets a big deal (and a guaranteed big marketing budget) vs small vs no deal. As you note, there is little to no correlation with the quality of the writing. So, knowing this, the best we can do is write the thing we want to write, in the truest way we know how, making it the best version of itself we can, before we release it to the world (the agent, the editor) to see whether the luck of the market is with us. Keep going!
And I do love it. It's just hard to immerse myself in the process when the nagging voice is saying "but... but... but..." I have to intentionally guard my process from the chaos of capitalism to write what I really want to write, which--you are absolutely right--is what makes it all worth it.
This resonated with me so much! It really is a hard balance to write what's in your heart and soul and figure out how to get that out in the world. Keep up the good work! 😊
I choose to live extremely simply and cheaply so that I'm not dependent on the proceeds of my writing. If proceeds come, I am happy, but I want the real work to be focused on my unique contribution and my own growth as a writer and thinker.
You have to love the process, the creative act. So much of all of this is luck- what is trending, who gets a big deal (and a guaranteed big marketing budget) vs small vs no deal. As you note, there is little to no correlation with the quality of the writing. So, knowing this, the best we can do is write the thing we want to write, in the truest way we know how, making it the best version of itself we can, before we release it to the world (the agent, the editor) to see whether the luck of the market is with us. Keep going!
And I do love it. It's just hard to immerse myself in the process when the nagging voice is saying "but... but... but..." I have to intentionally guard my process from the chaos of capitalism to write what I really want to write, which--you are absolutely right--is what makes it all worth it.
This resonated with me so much! It really is a hard balance to write what's in your heart and soul and figure out how to get that out in the world. Keep up the good work! 😊
Thanks. It really is hard. I have to compartmentalize pretty aggressively, which is not something I'm that good at.
"Fuck that noise." You ARE good at this!
I write for me. If anyone else likes it, awesome. If not, no worries. But I know there are people like me out there who need what I have to tell. ❤️