When I wrote Into This Mind, I was writing sort of 'for' this friend who was interested
in my story. I was super charged and psyched about writing. I had (and still have) a list of story ideas. I wasn't very fond of the editing phase, especially given I'm not one to reread stories that I like, let alone rereading the same one 10-20 times.The time I spent on my book was nearly an obsession. Staying home, typing on beautiful sunny days, missing out on time with family and friends, I didn't do much in the way of volunteer work, it started to suffocate me.
For someone to really enjoy writing, I believe they must love it. They must love expressing their ideas on paper, and that their main goal is to release their stories. So writing is a release. Having readers is a perk, being published a bigger perk, and making a living writing some fantastic dream to be paid for doing something you'd be doing regardless. And that's it, I believe the writing needs to be something you'd do regardless. If someone told you that you had zero chance of getting published, it wouldn't matter, you would keep writing. If they told you that NO ONE would ever read your stories, you'd still write.
I write poetry, close to 700 poems since I was around 12 years old. Sometimes entered a contest, but they're mainly scams . . . I write poetry to express my feelings, that is the main goal, and I mainly write when I'm sad so I cry into the paper.
I've been much happier
not writing, but still, there are times, when I think of my two WIP and feel like they're quietly chirping to me. But no, I tell myself, I don't want to go down that road again. Because writing fictional stories to me NEEDS a purpose. I need that reader that wants the story, and when I open that box, then I want to be published, and I can't quiet the yearning so I dosed it and blew it completely out.By not writing I can read, by not writing I can spend more time volunteering, time with family, friends and my cats.
So do you yearn to write, or do you yearn to be published? If the greater yearning is to be published and have a career working out of your home, writing could really be a frustrating downward spiral.
