11 Great Reasons to be a Writer
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THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE:
11 Great Reasons to be a Writer
Rob Parnell
Today I thought I'd outline the perks
associated with living the writer's life. Some of them
are obvious but others less so.
1. You Get Your Name in
Print
Obvious. The career writer knows
that many people spend their entire lives trying to get
to this, stage one, of the writer's life.
You never take it for granted. It's what you
slave for, yes, it's what you want but, more, what you
really want is your writing in print.
Having your words in print is
like an endorsement of who you are. Somehow you matter. And that
feels good.
2. You Get Recognition
There are two aspects of this.
One, you get people coming up to you in the supermarket
who know your name - which is kind of weird the first
time it happens - actually every time it happens because
it's easy to forget you're famous, especially if you're
not very famous!
Two, you go places or call people
and they say, "Yeah, I know you," and it takes
you by surprise. It's like having a flag bearing
messenger running ahead of you, breathlessly telling
people you're coming - and you're some sort of dignitary,
so they'd better listen to you!
3. You Get Respect
You come up with an idea and you
write it down, send it out and you are taken seriously.
This in itself is wonderful. Of course you still get
rejections but when you've had a little success, people
listen for longer, they consider your idea, they let you
pitch it and don't treat you with contempt. They're
considering your idea rather than just little old you - which
is the position you've always wanted to be in.
4. You Get Royalties
Those checks come in and of
course, it's never enough. Okay, so you don't have to go
back to real work but, consider this:
Rich artists will attest that,
the bigger the royalty check, the less it's about you.
A certain responsibility comes
with success. You're not only doing what you do for
yourself. There's all the administrators, marketing
people and retailers that are relying on your creativity
to pay their wages to consider. Plus the duty of
integrity you owe to your readers.
Scary thoughts - especially if
you only went into the game for yourself.
5. You Get to Sleep In
Can't beat it with a stick.
We all get those times when you
wake up and don't feel like facing the world. When you're
a successful writer - as in you get paid for what
you do - it's okay to indulge in those luxuries once in a
while. Ah, bliss.
6. You've Got No
Boundaries
You get to define your own priorities. You get to plan
your day, your week, your year, your life.
If you want to spend a couple of
months working on a novel, you can. If you want to
develop a movie project idea, you can. If you want to do
nothing for a couple of days, you can.
Of course, there's always the
commercial consideration. You have to be sure that some
money will come from your ideas eventually - in the
future or in the short term - but whether and when you
work on them, well, that's your decision, your call.
Nice work if you can get it, as
they say.
7. You Get to Speak
People want you to talk, to come
to their venues and say something. This is very
flattering, especially if they say they don't care what
you talk about, as long as you're there.
You get to talk about yourself
and answer questions they want to ask you. It's nice to get those opportunities because it's
like, what else was I going to do?
And you're going to pay me too?
Wow, that's pretty cool.
8. You Get Presents
It's something that goes back to
the beginning of time. People give gifts to those they
like or revere. It's a show of respect. It can be very
disarming, especially when it's unexpected, which is
pretty much all of the time!
9. You Get Fans
It's weird when people quote your
own lines back at you, especially when you hadn't thought
those particular lines were important.
You get people that tell you
they've been following your career, that they have read
everything you've written, that they are your number one
fan. You smile, you say nice things
and you hope you won't let them down.
It's hard sometimes because you're
thinking, "Thank you, but I'm just me!"
10. You Get Holidays
At last, a perk that is serious
fun, even if it doesn't happen too often!
People often assume that when you're a writer you're already living
one long holiday, so why would you need to go away? Uh,
well, it doesn't quite work like that...
Just because you're doing
something towards your career every day doesn't mean you
don't feel the need to get away sometimes.
The best thing is, within reason
and prior commitments, you can just go, whenever and
wherever you like. But of course, you'll usually find an
excuse to make it work related too!
Because:
11. You Get To Claim It
All Against Tax
If you're an artist, an actor or
a writer, then it's assumed you're being that 24/7.
Everything you think and feel is about your work.
Everything you do is about your work. Therefore,
everything you do - and buy - is, at least in theory, tax
deductible. Yowzah.
Conclusion
I hope all of the above reasons
will inspire you to pursue the writer's life.
If you're in any doubt as to your
abilities to compete, take a good look at the people you
regard as rich and successful. What have they got that
you haven't?
Talent? Good looks? Luck?
Nah, it's all about commitment
- and the courage to believe.
Keep writing!
Rob Parnell
The Easy Way to Write
The Easy Way to Write
THIS WEEK'S WRITER'S QUOTE:
"The past is gone - remember only the love and lessons." Rob Parnell
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