Perks of Being a Writer
Benefits Beyond Striking It Rich
Most of us want to “make it” as a published author, and by that I mean we want to make a profit with our writing. Getting to that point can take time — years for some of us — and while we do have more patience than people in the traditional working world (often because we don’t quit our day job), there are reasons to write that have nothing to do with money. While we wait for our books to land on those recommended and best-selling lists, we enjoy the following PERKS OF BEING A WRITER (not in any particular order).
You love what you do. Yeah, your friends have 9-to-5 jobs or work in retail or the restaurant industry, and they may be bringing home a lot more bacon, but do they LOVE what they do? Some of them, maybe. A lot of them probably don’t. You want to be a writer so bad that you are willing to take a pay cut—or even to spend hours at something you may never be paid for. You’re doing it because you love it.
You are able to work even when sick. Yes, I have a cold right now, and it is bringing me down, but I am still able to work. Yay!
Reading is mandatory. The only thing better than writing is reading, in my opinion. When I decided to be an English major, it was because I’d be forced to read many wonderful classics. Now I read to stoke my creativity.
Cats. Yes, cats and writing go together like desks and pet beds. I suppose dogs go with writing as well, but they may not fit on top of your desk.
Good conversation. I started writing at a young time in my life when I felt that I was not too good at speaking. Writing gave me the opportunity to be a clever conversationalist like those characters in the movies who always say the right things. To this day, I love to pen a feisty dialogue.
You get to play god. How much fun is it to control entire worlds? With power comes responsibility, so it’s not all fun and games, but get your story structure right, and, wow, you can be one formidable deity.
Caffeine is your friend. As if any of you coffee lovers need an excuse. I had to give it up due to migraines, but I do look back fondly on those crazy caffeinated days.
Focus music is your favorite melody. Working to the likes of Mozart or Beethoven can actually make good things happen in your brain, maybe even make you smarter. All those hours we log on the computer can be enhanced by the music that improves our brains while keeping us on task.
You get to live out your fantasies. Whatever they may be … even if it’s just going back to your high school days and telling off the teacher/bully who humiliated you in gym class. Or maybe it’s traveling the world like James Bond and kicking some worldly ass. Or creating an Earth that’s populated by aliens who seem to think they have the answers to all of humanity’s problems (Jovian Universe, anyone?).
Fans. If you've done your job well as a writer, you will gain some fans, and hearing about how much they love your book will make your day many times over.
You're part of the writing community, and you'll make many writer friends. I love my writer friends, and they are spread all over the country and even across oceans. The thread of writing connects us all, and we “get” each other, making this self-publishing journey a much less lonely road.
Kim Catanzarite is the author of the award-winning Jovian Universe sci-fi thriller series. She is a freelance writer and editor for publishers and independent authors, and she teaches copyediting for Writer’s Digest University. Her Self-Publishing 101 blog discusses the ins and outs of indie life as well as all things writing craft. Kim lives on the east coast USA with her husband and daughter.
