THERE’S NOTHING EXALTED ABOUT THE ‘WRITERS’ LIFE’

Not infrequently, fellow bloggers will begin a post by apologizing about not writing for a spell. The fact they feel they have to apologize bothers me. Nobody’s obligating any of us to produce, and we all have regular lives to pursue, or at least lives we ought to engage. After all, that’s where so much of the grist for writing originates.

Besides, there’s no shortage of good reading in the blogosphere. Take a rest or catch up, and feel good about. Heavens! If we need anything regarding the written word, it’s more conscientious readers … ones who will encourage a wider audience for deserving work, especially.

Somewhat related, and just as disturbing, are the giddy proclamations of joining in the “writers’ life,” as if it’s some carefree club out there free of everyday obligations and cumbers. Maybe they’re envisioning the legendary Dorothy Parker and her Algonquin Round Table, or even the martini named after her, or some other crossroads in literary history, but let me proclaim that’s largely an illusion or mirage, especially in today’s publishing reality.

It’s one thing to be a casual writer and quite another to be a serious practitioner, and for the latter, the only shared lifestyle I’ve seen is a dedication to hard, daily work that includes not just writing but research, reading, and correspondence as well. It’s not glamorous, for sure, and in the current literary scene, you won’t get famous. Not compared to any of those so-called celebrities.

So if you must, then write. And then, because you must, revise repeatedly.

And if you aren’t so obliged, then read … for pleasure as much as anything. And maybe that’s where you’ll really find the “writers’ life,” one you might even share with others over coffee or cocktails.

Now, for me, it’s back to work. And thanks for listening.

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