My attitude was never "should I be a writer", it was always, "I'm gonna write, damnit, if it kills me!" Although writing is a passion and hobby of mine, I don't do it to earn a living, as I do have a full time job aside from writing. But I've always wanted to write, nonetheless.
You guys have to understand, though, that the persons who usually ask this question do so because of a lack of self-esteem, and it's no different than if they asked themselves if they really should be parents or anything of the sort. And the answer is still yes, if you want to be.
I agree with all you have said Coffee bean, and for the record I wasn't responding to your initial post like you appear to be implying. Your point is that to be a good writer you need to practice and implement the technical skills of writing. It's mandatory. And I completely concur. But in the context of this thread, Should you be a writer if you're not confident in the technical skills of writing? The answer is yes, these skills can be acquired so your inability in this aspect is irrelevant if you have the will to learn. Now should you be a writer if you struggle to think creatively? Maybe not, because that skill might never be acquired( subject to debate, but I stand by my opinion). And Ged, I have no idea why you would think my post was pretentious. I said more than once that I may be wrong.
We know they are asking due to lack of self-esteem. And I think deCamp knew that as well when he wrote his advice. The point being, if you're that lacking in self-esteem then it's probably a bad career choice for you.
Joker, thanks for the response. I did assume that your post was partially a response to mine. Sorry for the mistake. Good points, all around. I agree--no one should be discouraged from writing because they struggle with the mechanics. We all have areas where we need to grow, and that shouldn't stop us from pursuing our passions. In fact, the whole point of the forum is to help us develop. I certainly have much to learn when it comes to writing fiction. This is essentially a new experience for me, having written only two or three short stories in college, and I'm excited about tackling something new!
Just as an additional point writing is a bad career choice for everyone who hasn't already published at least one bestseller. I don't think anbody should go into fiction writing hoping to make it their sole source of income. It's a hobby. Even trying to find a publisher should be a hobby. If somehow your hobby produces a publishing contract and somehow your book sells well, then only should you even consider writing as a career.
/\ I agree. If I so happen to get a book published and it so happens to end up on the best-seller list and generates big bucks for me (hey, a girl can dream, right?), only then would I contemplate giving up my "day job" LOL
Makes me wonder if the term, "starving artist" was ever applied to writers. I've known the type. They will tell a normal job to sit and spin. They'd rather be surviving on ramen noodles and saltines and doing what they love than working a "normal" job.
If it meant I got to write my books all day and see them published, I'd settle for this in a heartbeat.
I'd have to add an 'AMEN' to that! It's difficult enough for a competent, intelligent, imaginative person with a half-way decent vocabulary, good, solid story concepts, and a grasp of how to present those ideas, to lay them down. And, even at that, most do not write gold but at least manage to produce something "shiny" enough to sell. And, from what I've read of 'great' writers of not so very far bygone days from Louisa May Alcott to Hemingway to Vonnegut and on most successful writers are full of insecurities about themselves as well as their writing. It's part of the human condition. We may get glowing reviews of our work but it only takes one disparaging review to bring it all crashing down around our ears. It's not so much the stiffness of our upper lip that gets us through such times. I think it's more the stiffness of our resolve, our physical need to write, our addiction if you will, that separates the true writers from those who would be.
Steerpike: did the original quote regard people wanting to write, period, or people quitting their job to dedicate their life to writing? I think there is a big difference here and anyone who writes stories and let people read them or even try and having them published are to be considered a writer. Lots of writers have other jobs as well, and as long as you still have a way of making a living I don't see why anyone would disincourage someone that wants to write and discover if time and practice can make them good at it. To me it's a kind of hypocrisy to advice people against something they themselves are doing, and it does ring a little false in my ears. Like they are enjoying it but they don't want someone else to discover the same pleasure that writing actually is.
I believe the author is addressing comments to those who want to be full-time writers. Specifically, fiction writers who make their living doing just that.
ok. Well, I still think you should give everyone a chance to find out for themselves if that is something for them, but maybe he said so because the ones who ignore his words and persist in their chosen direction are more likely to have what it takes than the ones who listen to him and believe what he says?
I think the comments are more about that process of finding out. One's own behavior can be an indication of whether or not it makes sense for someone to pursue writing as a career.
Yes, I think that is it exactly. If you are a person who can be discouraged or put off by deCamp telling you "no," then you probably don't have what it takes to tough it out as a writer. Your reaction to his answer is an indicator, that's all.
Personally I don't see things as being so set in stone. People's personalities can change. Timid people who don't have much drive or determination can change and become much more determined, focused, hardy. People do it all the time. It would be a shame to turn a young, potentially talented writer away from the idea when they could grow into a person who has all the toughness and determination needed to make it. Personality, state of mind, confidence, they can all change, sometimes dramatically, sometimes pretty quickly.
Most definitely. It happened to me. Anway what this dude wrote are just his thoughts & shouldn't be taken as gospel or anything... If someone wants to write, they will find their way there.
I find the responses of "no" and the reason very smart and they make a lot of sense. Though, I must disagree with said response. IMO, regardless of if you're making a living from it or not, if someone comes up to me and asks me "Should I become a writer?" and I know that they love writing, I will most certainly tell them yes. I will, however, point out the advantages and disadvantages of being a writer, but I will never tell someone they shouldn't do something because nobody can be a "great" writer, or truly make a trustful living out of it. I believe people should do what they feel they should do. Maybe I'm an over optimistic when it comes to subjects like this, but every subject will have their pessimists and their optimists. And I just happen to be one of the very few people who is strongly against saying "no".
Yes definitely, pointing out the pros and cons seems to be the way to go. People will then do what they want to anyway. Case in point, there was a lady at my workplace who had only been there a matter of months, and suddenly left. She was really quiet but on the last day I spoke to her & it turned out she was leaving to pursue freelance writing. I was impressed and yet wondered internally if she should have given up a (pretty good) job at this point. I think our boss too had tried to persuade her to stay, but... We joked that one day we might see each other again in print.
I think if one wants to make a living writing, then I agree with the original post. But I don't believe that desiring to make it your entire life is essential to be a "writer." If somebody asks me if they should be a writer, I will ask them if they write already and enjoy it. If they can say yes, then I will tell them that they already are. Whether or not they should make it their career is a different question. Probably not, or at least not their entire career. It's not something that's going to bring in the cash, reliably. But I don't believe the desire to get rich from it is a prerequisite for being a writer. If you want to write, write. If you are writing, you are a writer. Don't ask me for my validation.
You can be a successful fiction author that makes thousands of dollars a month while writing after office hours. If that money is sufficient to support you on its own then by all means quit your day job and start writing during office hours. If it's not, don't even think about it. Being a successful author doesn't require you to make it your primary career. . . unlike many other professions. That's the beauty of it. And this makes the abysmal success rate of hopeful writers virtually without risk. So if the question is coming from somebody fresh out of school, contemplating their career path and is this: Should I give this novel my all with the aim of getting it polished and published, and establish myself as a full time writer? The answer is emphatically no. It's not pessimism. It's just maths. Focus on another career path, and write in your spare time. That way, the risk of becoming "the struggling artist" is non-existent, and the chance of one day becoming a successful author is almost the same.
