I love the writer's life and would not have another, but I sometimes think we are envied by people who would never voluntarily work for what we do or tolerate the uncertainty of our profession-- if one can even call it that. Chad at Mallard of Discontent had a tough patch, wrote about it, and got an unsympathetic and I think unfair comment that prompted me to reflect on some tough realities.
I commented: "Sure, you choose writing. You choose other roads too. Imagine getting up and inventing your work every morning. And have someone choose to pay you for work done. Or not. And if they do, not know how much in advance. Or when the check will come. And maybe-- see Harry Middleton-- have to work the garbage truck any way, and die on it."
I make it a policy not to respond to bitchy anonymous comments, so I did not comment on the site you referenced.
ReplyDeleteI will say here, though, that I've done a lot of different kinds of jobs, some very physically demanding. Writing, especially "creative writing" (is there another kind)is the hardest work there is, at least if you're trying to do it well. Of course, like anything else, the harder the battle, the more glorious the triumph.
It's one of those things that falls into the category create by the old Harley Davidson ads: "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand."
Jim Cornelius
www.frontierpartisans.com