I remember when writing was a solitary activity and writers were mere figures in the background of the story. The relatively few people who wrote for publication, did so with passion and commitment. And there were thousands more who wrote in secrecy for pleasure.<\/p>\n
Today, everyone writes for publication or knows someone who does. There were over a million books published last year and I would guess there are millions more manuscripts in the works\u2014some that will never see the light of day. <\/p>\n
Writing is no longer lonely. And we don\u2019t have to wait for gratification from our efforts. We can write faster using computer technology and complete our projects in record time. We can produce a book in weeks\u2014or even days. We can share our writings instantly\u2014via our blogs, by posting articles online, through our websites, in discussion groups, etc. If you want to be published, there is nothing stopping you. <\/p>\n
Yes, practically everyone is writing or plans to start a writing project. But what has happened to the passion in this writing frenzy we\u2019re experiencing in America? Is there anyone out there who still loves the process of writing\u2014who is infatuated with the written word\u2014who must write? Or are we all simply writing to air our grievances, to soothe our damaged psyches, to establish credibility, to make money?<\/p>\n
I have been writing for publication for over 35 years. And I\u2019ve seen the world changing around my profession. As a board member of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) for 16 years, I\u2019ve met writers and authors in every category of writing interest and pursuit. I\u2019ve watched writers soar and I\u2019ve watched them fail. A common denominator for those who don\u2019t make it in this field seems to be lack of passion, purpose and drive.<\/p>\n
Are you thinking about entering into the highly competitive publishing field? Do you have what it takes? Are you blessed with a real enthusiasm for writing, are you realistically motivated and do you have the drive to do what it takes to succeed?<\/p>\n
Maybe it\u2019s time to evaluate your motives. Here are two important questions. Try to answer them this week:<\/p>\n
Why do you write?
\nWhat motivates you to keep writing?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I remember when writing was a solitary activity and writers were mere figures in the background of the story. The relatively few people who wrote for publication, did so with passion and commitment. And there were thousands more who wrote in secrecy for pleasure. Today, everyone writes for publication or knows someone who does. There […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t