Saturday, December 12, 2015

WRITE FOR MONEY OR THE LOVE OF WRITING?

I suppose there are a lot of reasons people write.  One of the biggest factors, I think, is because certain people feel they have something to say and they do it through their creative writing.  Whether they are writing a piece of fiction (short story, novel, play, movie script) or a work of fact (a biography, history, how to, political commentary) putting pen to paper is a way to express oneself.

Some people write for money.  They will write anything as long as they get paid.  I don’t and I won’t.  I’ve turned down paying jobs because my heart was not in it.

Sure, it is nice to get paid and I have made my living as a working writer for many years, but money is not the driving factor for me.

Whether selling nationally distributed magazine articles, a motion picture screenplay, or a weekly local newspaper, it is nice to have the cash flow.  In fact, I’ve earned more than a million dollars in my lifetime as a result of my writing.  But, aside from the fact that I don’t have any of that money any more, it never was the money that made me write.  It was the belief that I could share ideas and maybe change the way people think.

The Look For Me series has some powerful ideas and I have already been amply rewarded by those who have read the books and told me that the story gave them a new perspective on life.  I’ll take that compliment any day and every day.  If what you write can change a person for the better, then it is worth writing—to me at least.  If the money comes after that, fine.  If not, that’s okay too.

Of course there is one advantage in getting paid for your writing.  If you are earning money doing what you love, then you will be put in the wonderful position of continuing to do it.

LookForMeIWillFindYou.com


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