The Writing Life
The humble will be exalted and the exalted will be humbled.
I've always loved that quote and have tried to remember it from day-to-day. Yet the problem with writing books is that you need to self-advertise from time-to-time. It's the absolute worst thing about the writing life.
Think of it, and consider why most writers are a little off. You work on something, completely alone, for months and months. Through it all you tell yourself that it's the greatest thing ever written, but you counter that with bouts of - this is complete garbage. Months - maybe years -later you put it out there and before it even gets by the editor, you have to swing into self-promotion mode. You have to explain why you sat alone in your room,for hours on end, to tell a story that maybe no one would want to, or ever have the chance to read. And in your mind, you try and stay stable, and if people like it, humble.
I'm attending the New England Book Festival because Nobody's Home won a bit of recognition in the fiction category. As I told some of my co-workers in the construction field about it, they were very understanding of course. From one, You write books? What a dork.
From another: You get to fly to another city to drink wine with other geek writers? Oh, I'm so jealous!
Even from my wife at Book-Expo New York a couple of years ago: Boy this is fun, people talking about books.
Yet there is certainly a passion involved. I will drink wine, or whatever alcoholic beverage I'm forced to drink.I will discuss what I've read and what I'll be writing. Despite my above-quote, I may feel a sense of pride when I discuss Nobody's Home and do you know why?
Because I know the reason why I wrote the book. I understand that it was a learning experience for me where I was taught by my wonderful editor the art of transition, and where I handled an emotional conflict that was awakened in me by a madman that lived in my hometown.
It's one hell of a conflicted life, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be writing new things, real soon, because exalted or not, it answers the knock at the door in my own crowded head.
I've always loved that quote and have tried to remember it from day-to-day. Yet the problem with writing books is that you need to self-advertise from time-to-time. It's the absolute worst thing about the writing life.
Think of it, and consider why most writers are a little off. You work on something, completely alone, for months and months. Through it all you tell yourself that it's the greatest thing ever written, but you counter that with bouts of - this is complete garbage. Months - maybe years -later you put it out there and before it even gets by the editor, you have to swing into self-promotion mode. You have to explain why you sat alone in your room,for hours on end, to tell a story that maybe no one would want to, or ever have the chance to read. And in your mind, you try and stay stable, and if people like it, humble.
I'm attending the New England Book Festival because Nobody's Home won a bit of recognition in the fiction category. As I told some of my co-workers in the construction field about it, they were very understanding of course. From one, You write books? What a dork.
From another: You get to fly to another city to drink wine with other geek writers? Oh, I'm so jealous!
Even from my wife at Book-Expo New York a couple of years ago: Boy this is fun, people talking about books.
Yet there is certainly a passion involved. I will drink wine, or whatever alcoholic beverage I'm forced to drink.I will discuss what I've read and what I'll be writing. Despite my above-quote, I may feel a sense of pride when I discuss Nobody's Home and do you know why?
Because I know the reason why I wrote the book. I understand that it was a learning experience for me where I was taught by my wonderful editor the art of transition, and where I handled an emotional conflict that was awakened in me by a madman that lived in my hometown.
It's one hell of a conflicted life, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be writing new things, real soon, because exalted or not, it answers the knock at the door in my own crowded head.
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