Lost in the wonder of words.... by Donna Carrick

One of the questions I'm most frequently asked by aspiring novelists and fellow-authors is "How does one make a living at writing?"

Cue mysterious music, dim lights, focus spotlight centre-stage...get ready for relevation.....Not!

I'm reminded of the most recent time I heard one of my favourite Canadian authors, Giles Blunt, speaking at a gala dinner for Crime Writers.  I've met Giles several times and have heard him read from his works, but this time was special. He was addressing the gathering as Guest of Honour at our largest national conference.

I can't remember Giles' exact words, but the gist of his message was: Write because you love writing. There is no other valid reason.

Yes, some of us will sell books. We might even, after much honing of our craft and polishing of our marketing skills, move our numbers from red to black. For a handful of us, the dream will be realized and a best-seller will turn into a viable living.

Whether or not that happens, the decision to write is one we make daily.

There are so many reasons not to write. We're all so busy. People don't seem to appreciate books as much as they once did. A writer has to wear so many hats: editor, formatter, cover designer, promoter...

But, for me at least, there remains one overwhelming factor -- the Queen Motivator that keeps me churning out stories, editing, revising, re-writing, formatting and all the rest.

Remember when we were kids, and we'd tug ever-so-gently on that string just for the sheer joy of watching the kite climb higher? There was no real purpose to it. It didn't put food on the table, nor house us. It didn't save hungry children, nor did it prevent pollution.

But we flew that kite anyway, and we loved doing it. We moved it this way and that across the sky, dreaming of flying along with it.

Or maybe we spent the afternoon with a friend, just because we could, savoring the sweet stillness of time as we watched a school of minnows in the shallow of a lake.

We did these things because we could. Because they nourished our souls. They allowed us an expression of self that was both pointless and profoundly meaningful.

Would I like my books to top the charts? You betcha. I thrill at every climb on the Amazon list, and my heart dances at every favorable review.

Are these things necessary to my passion?

Nope.

My sincere thanks to @JohannaHarness for this opportunity to share my thoughts on writing with the #AmWriting community. Today I am focusing on the art of writing. I also blog regularly on the "nuts and bolts" of the industry at CarrickPublishing.com.