Q & A

Q: Why do you write?

A: I definitely don't write for the money. The more fundamental question is this. Why do you write when you aren't getting paid to do it?

The reality is that most writers don't do it for the money. This is because even bestselling authors often must work a day job to make ends meet. Unless your name is King, Grisham, or Rowling, you're just not going to make a living from writing.

Some bloggers pull off the trick of writing for a living, but the trick seems to be about simple living more than anything else. These guys and gals aren't getting rich from it. Journalism is another possibility.

It is pretty much established that getting rich from writing is a long shot. Even a guy like Nassim Nicholas Taleb makes way more money from his day job than his writing gig. If anything, writing is mostly a sacrifice.

I get creative satisfaction from writing. I'm not a musician or a painter. I just write. My life without writing would be quite empty. Writing fills the void. It makes what would be an ordinary and uneventful life more extraordinary.

I can't deny that I am sometimes tempted to drop the writing gig. Blogging soaks up a lot of time I could spend on things more practical like getting my chores done. But I don't do things that other people do such as hang out at bars, travel, or watch a whole lot of television. I mostly read and write which has been a constant in my life since I was young.

The other aspect of writing that makes it worthwhile is what it does to the rest of my day. In the back of my mind, I am always working on a writing project. Ideas are always percolating in my brain. This is why I don't get bored too often. I always have something to do.

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