Welcome to Open Book Blog Hop. You can find us every Monday talking about the writing life. I hope you'll check out all the posts: you'll find the links at the bottom of this post.
Do you ever ask yourself if you are still a writer?
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Though I have plenty of moments of doubt in the pursuit of my creative life, my identity as a writer is never in question. I have always written (since I first learned how!), and will always write.Writing is how I process the world, my feelings, events…all of it. Like the quote from EM Forster: "How can I tell what I think till I see what I say?"
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Publishing is another kettle of fish though. It can really feel like there's no return-on-investment in seeking publication and audience for your work. If you let your identity as a writer get tied to your financial or critical success in publishing, losing heart is almost inevitable.
There's going to be rejection. There are going to be poor reviews and unkindness and judgmental behavior. It's a risk you take, when you put your art out there, hoping for connection, hoping to find someone who "gets" what you're doing.
Not everyone will.
When it's been a long time since I've seen anything into print, I can have some doubts about my publishing career, start to feel that imposter syndrome pulling down on my soul.
But, no, I never have to ask if I'm a writer. I write, therefore I am. Or, maybe I am, and therefore I write. Either way, it's not possible for me to give that up.
Do you have to fight off doubting demons in your creative endeavors? How do you pull yourself out? I'd love to hear about in the comments!
(the earworm from my title:
I think maybe we need to make a living as a writer before we call ourselves writers. By the same token... we self-publish, therefore are we publishers?
ReplyDeleteMaking a living as in paying all your bills solely from income from your writing will remain out of reach for most published authors. Plenty of the people we read as classics now didn't make a living during their lifetimes. Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe, Marcel Proust…
DeleteI make enough to buy lunch once or twice a month. That's something I wouldn't have if it wasn't for my writing. Therefore: I'm a writer.
ReplyDeleteSounds right to me. I make enough, most months, that my writing life pays for itself--covers the cost of events and additional copies of the books for the next event.
ReplyDeleteI am not paying my mortgage with writing, but it does pay for itself, which I can't say about every (or even most) hobbies in the world.
ReplyDeleteVery true. I usually describe it as my "side hustle" since it doesn't pay for much except itself.
DeleteI'm just breaking even as well. I keep hoping I'll find the magic key that will tip me over into profitability.
ReplyDeleteWhen you figure it out, be sure to tell the rest of the class!
DeleteAny doubts I have are always tied to the publishing part and how hard it can be to find readers and an audience. But I try not to focus on it so I can enjoy writing more.
ReplyDelete