Write Like You Mean it.

Writing is a calling. People write for different reasons and there is no better time in history to be a writer. Sure,   the publishing world has been shaken by technology and the old system is slowly dying. Yes, the midlist is nonexistent. Of course, the gatekeepers continue to do what gatekeepers do, create exclusivity and a system where they maintain control. But the upshot is power and freedom to the writer.

First of all, if you write fiction and you keep doing it, you’re a special breed. As the columnist, Red Smith once said when asked whether writing a daily column was difficult, “Why no, you simply sit down at your typewriter, open a vein and bleed.” Writing has always been difficult, since the first moment a chisel was placed on a stone. Storytelling is as old as language. Stories are told, retold, and transformed into other stories; Cupid and Psyche became Beauty and the Beast became Twilight. Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John are the same story from different points of view. Socrates warned that writing stories down would lead to memory loss and a lack of wisdom. Little did he know how crazy it would make some of us. Still, we write and there is a good reason. Writing is a magnificent obsession, a calling.

There are a lot of reasons to write, but the craziest reason is money. Yes, we live in a Capitalist society and money is a huge concern. And I’m not saying that writers shouldn’t knuckle under and learn some marketing skills— to a point. But the best way to make yourself marketable as a writer is to write well. Material Profit is not a suitable motivation to improve your craft. Needing money can certainly motivate you, but warping what you write to feed the beast of consumerism will end badly. No one was more surprised their stuff sold than the writers whose stuff sold.

Back in the day, Rembrandt had an art factory. He got young artists to paint his portraits for him so he could up his output. Today, writers like James Patterson have created similar writing factories. In those cases, the artist turned his style into a business. Some e-book models are tilting into this precarious territory, where writers pump out a title a month, sprinkle some SEO fairy dust on the thing, and try to use the Internet to make money. But that is not the same thing as honing your craft. Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule is still a good guide. To get good at something, you need to practice for years. And to do that, you need to sit your ass down and write. You need to experiment and test yourself. Besides, not everything is in your control, trends come and go, and you are either born with resources or you have to fight to get them. What you can control is your heart, so write for the love of writing.

If you write fiction purely for profit you’re going to go insane. You really will. I’m not saying you can’t make money, because you can, but if you do it for that reason alone you will end up a loon and your writing will be shabby and cynical and formulaic. There are easier ways to make money, believe me. Besides, it isn’t really up to you whether you make money at writing. That is in the audience’s purview. If you can make them laugh or cry or entertain them in some way, they will elevate you. All you can do is chuck your stuff out there and say here’s my story, transported to you through a miracle of light, language, and sound.

To write a story is to move into a meditative trance state or as Stephen King once said, “writing is an act of self-hypnosis.” In yoga, they call this state of inward-turning, Pratyahara. In Koorie culture they call it Dadirri or deep, inner listening. The amazing thing is that whole worlds exist inside you, ready to stream through your consciousness, making your stories absolutely unique. There is no need to worry about whether someone told a story about vampires and zombies. No one has ever told your version of vampires and zombies— only you can do that.

Because of the nature of the beast, writing is a cathartic experience, like seeing a therapist. Whether you are a gardener or an architect, a pant-ser or a plotter doesn’t matter. At some point, you enter into the flow and you conjure a world. If you love traveling in your mind, playing with words, listening to the way a phrase turns, discovering the twists and turns of your characters, and exploring new territory, then you’re a writer. But if you’re just trying to figure out how to make a buck, you’re a salesperson and there are easier things to sell.

Write for the love of writing. Hone your craft. Do your 10,000 hours. Let the markets take care of themselves.