As I have mentioned in other blog posts, I wanted to become a writer since I was twelve years old. The journey to becoming one, like any area in life, had its twists and turns, and for a while I even deviated from the course.
Throughout my life I was told things like, “You cannot make a living off writing,” “You will never get rich,” or “You can’t even form a complete sentence!” Okay, so the last one was a legitimate critique at the time, but it’s something I have learned to improve. But writing isn’t about getting rich. For me it is about reaching a goal to get my works out there, where they can be enjoyed by others. Ultimately, I want my fiction to inspire people.
Writing, like anything in the arts, requires a lot of patience in order to get established and maintain a regular audience. The process for me has just begun. Learning how to reach my audience is slow, painstakingly so, and can quickly become very discouraging. Being in the arts is a continual uphill battle, and convincing people to buy a book from a new author is more than a little challenging, especially on the internet.
However, anything in life worth doing is difficult. Marriage is difficult, yet it is so rewarding I wouldn’t trade it for anything, and the same goes for being a parent. If everything came quickly and easily, there would be very little reward. So, I stubbornly plow on with my writing and try to market it to the best of my ability.
The goal has never been to get rich off writing. The goal is to make my writings available. I know fame and fortune are rare in the book world, and I’m totally fine with that. I don’t believe those things should be the end goal of anything, but they may happen more as a byproduct of hard work.
I want to give people a new, original, and deep fantasy adventure. I wish to deliver a story that I would want to read and never put down. I also want to make my books accessible to people who are not typically fantasy readers, hoping that I can change their thinking on fantasy stories. This is what I strive for, if I eventually make more money from it, that would be frosting on the cake.
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R. Michael 
I, too, like the process and practice of writing. I hope I get better at it. I hope someday I earn some income through it!
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I’m sure you will, with patience and time. 😊
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Just… uuh. Why can’t people accept that other people just want to do stuff for fun and try their hand at making it a business without wanting to become rich and famous?
I was naysayed a lot when I was younger when saying I wanted to be a writer.
“It won’t pay the bills,” they said.
“It’s hard work for little reward,” they said.
“You’ll find it hard to find people to want to pay you to write for them,” they said.
Nobody predicted the internet. Equally, nobody predicted the internet would be part of our everyday lives and vital for businesses. Writing pays the bills. It’s hard work but it’s rewarding and satisfying. Now people contact me to write stuff for their business.
I’m having the last laugh 😀
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You and I have had largely the same experience. Of course it’s hard work! This is my calling, so it’s worth it. Besides, what isn’t worthwhile in life that doesn’t require hard work?
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