Why Do You Write?

Hello, Fire Enthusiasts.

You know, it dawns on me that many of us who are writers are probably going through much the same kinds of trials and tribulations: there are those who pound away at the keys, hoping to complete their novels, but not entirely sure that they’re ready for public consumption; there are those who have a completed manuscript, but are struggling to land an agent who will give them the chance that their work needs; and there are some, like me, who already have a published novel in the marketplace, but struggle getting the word out.

Now, I didn’t write this post in order to enact some sympathy. What I really wanted to do was hear how others are handling whatever part of the game they find themselves in. This isn’t about me, it’s about us.

Why do you write?

I ask myself this question, too. I love to write. I have many stories that seem to want to come out of me. My problem is I don’t have enough time to do everything. I work eleven hours a day. It’s a day that begins at 3:00 am with the alarm, 4:00 am in the office and one which doesn’t end until about 3:00 pm. Considering that I need to get to bed at about 8:00 pm, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for the fiction writing that I do, the blog posts I do every week, the articles I write for a local magazine, plus housework and relationships with my wife and teenage sons. I’ve been attempting to do it all since I started so late in life (this began after 40 years of age), but I can’t possibly keep this up forever.

How about you? Are you writing because you love it and can’t dream of giving it up? Are you writing because you are trying to live the dream of being published?

Thankfully, I wrote the sequel to Dance on Fire while I was going through the process of editing and preparing it for publication. It is titled, Dance on Fire: Flashpoint. Soon, I will have to make some difficult choices. As I write this post I have yet to receive my edits, but they will be arriving any day now. When they do, I am going to have to clear some time for making those corrections, as well as to do some rewriting that my publisher and I have discussed. When that part of the job has been completed, I will need to immediately turn my attention toward writing the next novel.

What difficult choices have you had to make? Can you see some point of decision on the horizon which will cause you to hit the brakes and head in another direction?

I’m not as of yet sure what my next project will be. I have a third book in the Dance on Fire series that I would like to begin writing; however, having lived with these characters for twenty-plus years, I would very much like to venture off the beaten path and go in another direction. It would still be horror, but it would have nothing to do with vampires. Yet, that brings us to another point of decision: do I have a choice what I write next? Perhaps either my publisher or my audience will dictate what is next. Were I Uncle Stevie (Stephen King), I could do whatever I wanted, because of the sheer size of my audience. I hope I get to choose my next project. On the other hand, being forced to write book 3 would be a good thing, wouldn’t it? It would mean that my audience is growing and demanding more… *sigh*

There’s so much to consider.

We’ll talk soon.