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Sunday, December 04, 2005The Full-time Job That Pays Nothing"So, I hear you're an author!" That was the sentence du jour at Eric's office party on Friday night. Eric should have warned me about all the lip-flapping he'd done about my writing pursuits. Not that it's a bad thing for a husband to speak highly of his wife. It's just that a little heads-up would have helped. One lady's husband said, "So, the writing -- that must be a full-time job, right? You must write six or seven hours a day." Umm... I calmly told him that writing certainly could be a full-time job, but that I was currently homeschooling my children at the same time. (I swear people gasp when I mention that I'm homeschooling.) In reality, a good day translates as writing from 1:00 to 4:00. And to be perfectly honest, I haven't had that many "good days" lately. Life has been too full. (Read: My head has been too empty.) The sweet irony, too, is that all this mad writing -- the fresh, new story and the repeated edits of the completed novel -- amounts to absolutely zero income. Sad, but true, as all you pre-published authors know: Writers put months and years into a novel before seeing a single dollar. It's either passion or madness that keeps us going. Or both. Yes, I've got a book out there already. Yes, I've seen some dollars, and they still trickle in at a steady pace. But my time, my energy, my heart -- all are invested in my current projects. And if this is my "full-time job," then I'm working for nothing. Know what else is funny? The way people look at you as though you are some sort of spatial anomaly. Not in a bad way -- it's more of a "wow-you-actually-write-things-I-don't-think-I-could-do-that" stare. It feels good to be looked at that way. But it doesn't match up to reality. I mean, if I were a neonatal brain surgeon, I think I'd deserve that sort of look. Or a Nobel Prize winner. Or the Pope. I'm not complaining, though. It's a sort of validation for all those hours and hours of typing my fingers raw. "Why did you tell everyone that I'm an author?" I hissed to Eric on our way to the dinner table. "Because you are." Oh. Well, that's all right, then. Maybe next time I'll bring signed business cards along with me and hand them out to everyone. That way, when my first novel hits the best seller list, they'll all have a valuable souvenir from "way back when." Full-time job, indeed! Full-time passion, full-time calling, full-time burning desire within my soul. But "job?" No. And even when the royalties do start flowing, it still won't be a "job." Writing isn't something that I do; it's something that I am. And you can't put a price tag on that, anyway. Kindly forward all donations to Jillian Boehme's Full-time Job to my Paypal account. Labels: writing |
About Me
I am: Mother to five stunningly individualistic children... Writer of young adult fantasy... Passionate advocate for Women At Home... Madly in love with my husband... In need of Organic Gourmet Chocolate on a regular basis. I've got a Paypal account if you'd like to contribute to the cause....
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9of my readers are feeling chatty:
Jill - I am glad that the party was good. I really can't wait until you publish the novel. I know I'll be the first (or second after Doris :grin:) to buy your novel. And I am not kidding either...I think I'll give my best friend a copy of your first book for Christmas. Although she doesn't 'blog', but she reads your blog all the time - I got her hooked :grin:...
I have $6.43 left in my account. I'll have to wait until after I get paid!
I look at the reward for my writing as personal satisfaction. Whenever I write a particularly good scene, chapter, stretch of dialogue, it just feels good.
After a good rewrite, comparing the before and after, and seeing a marked difference in quality, it just feels good.
Whether or not it makes a jillion dollars, I know I have accomplished something worthwhile. If perchance the world accepts it, all the better.
No... it's not a job, but sure is a grand adventure.
btw
DramaMama SOOOO wants to win your book. She just won a contest on THe Goober Queen's Blog
http://thegooberqueen.blogspot.com/
It was a funny haiku
If she wins the Dr. Seuss contest too, she is going to have some real bragging power since I am the one claiming to be a writer! :)
DramaMama will LOVE Jill's book! its well worth the read, and well some of us out here have read it more then once LOL
It is great that you have found your passion :D
BTW if you all want to swing by and get traffic back I am running a 24 hour comment casting call !!
Hi Jillian! I love your blog and I applaud you for sticking with your writing. As with motherhood, it doesn't have to bring in the big bucks to be a full-time job. And even then, it's not really a job - it's a part of you. With 4 kids at home I am amazed that you even find the time to write!
And by the way, I love the pink and green in your template.
WendyWings directed me here today, and I am glad she did. :)
Hi Jill,
you are cracking me up. What's the name of your first book? I heard that you have to have five books on the shelves to make a living as a writer...don't know what kind of living they're referencing, but that seems like a hell of an income. NOt that you make much, but one book on the shelves is awesome from where I'm sitting.
Non-writers just don't understand. My first unpubbed novel (because I don't count the trashy one I wrote when I was 15) took four years to write. Second one, two years. And now I've got 53,000 of the last Nano win and many more words to write. Plus I've got about 25,000 words of a story from Nano 2003.
I do a lot of writing at work - during my tea breaks and at lunch. And I'm always having people ask 'Haven't you published that yet?' or 'When is it being published.'
I'm almost tempted to polish up the last one in time to take advantage of the Lulu.com offer so I can then show them my 'published novel.'
Over the years I have discovered that I have to write, it's not a job yet, although payment would be lovely one day - but it's the journey not the destination. The one thing that I do love about it - is that it's a hobby that doesn't cost much money unlike photography, scrapbooking etc. Sometimes all it takes is just me, a pen and paper and the creative juices are flowing.
Iris -- thanks for "hooking" your friend onto my blog! :) I love knowing that I've got happy readers out there.
Addict -- Thank you, and I'm glad you stopped by! Wendy's a dear. :)
Kathie -- It's MY LIMA BEANS ARE ALLERGIC TO MY SPOON; I've got a link up to the right that goes to its Amazon page.
Diane -- Yes, you've got writing in your blood, most definitely! Press on, fellow scribbler. There's nothing quite like it!
Dave -- Hey, dude. :D
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