Navigating the Path to Full-Time Writing: Decoding Financial Realities for Aspiring Authors

I recently visited Joe Konrath's blog and stumbled upon a thought-provoking post by Lee Goldberg, author of the Mr. Monk series. Joe's detailed sales figures, particularly his impressive e-book sales, left me pondering a common question among writers: "How much money do I need to become a full-time writer?"

In my musings, I envisioned skyrocketing book sales, a surge in blog traffic, and the allure of fame and fortune. It's a fantasy that plays in the recesses of my mind, akin to a shy observer peering over the backyard fence at a neighbor hanging laundry. Excitement washes over, but there's a tinge of guilt upon reflection.

While writers thrive on such fantasies, a pragmatic approach is essential to turn dreams into reality. So, where do I stand financially, devoid of fantasy, relying solely on hard numbers?

The answer: $80.00 a day. It might not prompt an immediate departure from my current job, but realistically, that amount would replace my existing income. With no retirement plan and stagnant wages for five years, my expectations are modest. A steady income mirroring my current job would be a tempting proposition.

Boiling down my thoughts, I've distilled this post into three crucial points:

Determine Your Financial Needs: Clearly outline the financial threshold that would make the leap to full-time writing feasible.

Build a Comfortable Buffer: Incorporate a financial safety net to alleviate constant money worries, ensuring a smoother transition.

Make Decisions Strategically: Evaluate the path to achieving your financial goals. What steps will lead you to the place you desire or need to be financially?

This post serves as a starting point, offering a glimpse into my current contemplative state. The journey is not fully mapped out, but the seeds of a plan are taking root. Stay tuned for further exploration into these pivotal aspects of a writer's journey toward financial independence.

Embracing the Wonders of Acadia: A Writer's Journey in Maine

I consider myself fortunate to call the breathtaking state of Maine my home, with Acadia National Park as my neighbor. However, like many, I often find myself neglecting the natural wonders around me. Despite Acadia being a global destination with over two million annual visitors, my family and I only made a handful of visits this year. With Acadia's peaks always in view, it's surprisingly easy to take its beauty for granted.

From hiking and running to capturing photos and enjoying picnics, Acadia offers a plethora of experiences. Standing on one of its two dozen peaks provides spectacular views of the ocean, foliage, small towns, and fleets of boats. Yet, the proximity sometimes leads to neglect, fostering the belief that it will always be there, unchanged and accessible whenever I choose. The mindset becomes, "I'll visit tomorrow, or next weekend."

This neglect becomes apparent with every trail hiked and peak crested, reminding me of the fallacy behind assuming that tomorrow is guaranteed. As a person, a Mainer, and a writer, I miss out when I view my surroundings as just another item on the To-Do List. Acadia becomes a checkbox – great if crossed off, but still there if not. The illusion of unlimited tomorrows lingers until the realization hits during a hike, making me confront the missed opportunities and unrealized tasks.

As a writer, the concept of 'tomorrow' is unsettling, as I reflect on the many tomorrows that never came. The numerous To-Do Lists, often replacements for unfinished ones, trace back to my childhood of unfulfilled 'tomorrow tasks.' Writers must be immersed in the world daily, as procrastination leads us nowhere fast.

Writing is the alchemy of turning words into wonder. Living in the moment, in the world, is the key to this transformation. Yesterday's hike served as a stark reminder of the importance of embracing the present for a writer, avoiding the trap of pushing experiences to an uncertain 'tomorrow.' 

Crafting Creativity: Navigating Woodworking and Writing Realms

Unveiling Wooden Creations: The Artistry of Woodworking Delving into the realm of woodworking, I define myself as a passionate creator, weaving utilitarian and artistic marvels from wood. From benches to bookshelves, the satisfaction lies in tangible, carefully crafted end products that demand precision and attention to detail. Ink on Paper: Wrestling with the Intangibility of Words Contrastingly, the world of writing presents a different set of challenges. Unlike woodworking's concrete outcomes, evaluating writing is subjective and often elusive. Wrestling with delusions of inspired prose, the personal nature of writing intertwines meaning and worth with the writer, posing a unique challenge in separating the two. Structured Constraints: The Formulaic Approach in Writing Unlike woodworking's tangible measurements, writing lacks a ruler for sentence lengths and dimensions. Some writers thrive on formulaic approaches, churning out novels akin to factory-produced replicas with slight variations. However, even in structured works, an intangible essence, independent of the formula, distinguishes exceptional writing. Balancing Act: Perfectionism, Honesty, and the Essence of Writing Navigating the thin line between perfectionism and honesty, my recent writing journey has encountered an imbalance. The inability to measure sentences with precision has led to a forceful approach, akin to destroying a final product through excessive carpentry pressure. Acknowledging this delicate balance, I reflect on the essence of writing that transcends forced structures.

Harmony in Creation: A Lesson from Wood to Words Amidst frustrations and metaphorical splinters, a valuable reminder emerges: creativity flourishes when nurtured, not forced. Whether in the rigid lines of wood or the fluid dance of words, avoiding the compulsion to force creativity allows for a more genuine and fulfilling creative process. This realization drives me to take a deep breath and forge ahead, appreciating the delicate art of creation in both woodworking and writing.

(Traditional) Publication Rules Of Writing

Introduction

Thinking of a post I wrote recently titled Manuscript Length A Thing Of The Past prompted me to consider what I thought about the current state of publishing. Normally I go with the flow, write short blog posts of little consequence, but the times we find ourselves today as writers is exciting, a little scary and confusing.

I felt the need to sort my feelings with more structure than I typically apply to my blog. In doing so, I discovered that one post was too constraining but I also understood the need to begin somewhere, so what follows is a (long) overview of where my mind is at today concerning the state of writing. What I find wonderful as a writer is the ability to rewrite previously published work, to expand and grow opinions more organically than at any other time in history.

There are things I’ve left out due to space, half-formed thoughts that remain undeveloped and sections that I’m not even certain I agree with, but here they stand for others to read. To disagree with, to argue for and argue against, to dismiss or take to heart.

Here, then, is my first draft. A writer in progress begins with a word, hoping others will follow for the rest.

What Are The (Traditional)  Publication Rules Of Writing?

There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.

-W. Somerset Maugham

Rules. There are as many rules about rules as rules themselves, but unlike Maugham, I was able to sort out in my mind four rules as regards to writing publication. Remember as you read further, my rules are broad and in no way meant to be comprehensive. Other folks will come up with their own rules I suspect, and that in no way diminishes their rules or my own, I think. It just means that writing and publication isn’t definable to the tenth decimal point. Writing and publication must be viewed in terms of range and described with phrases such as ‘most likely’, ‘I believe’ or ‘In all likelihood’.  

Or so I believe.

Here, then, are four rules of (traditional) publication:

A Writing Exercise

Writing exercise.

Leave your comfort zone. Go somewhere different than where you normally write, unless you normally write in a bus terminal or a coffee shop or some other public space. I think most of us tend to write at home, shut away from the world. I certainly tend to think better when I can shut off the world and concentrate without distraction.

For this exercise, it is necessary to orget comfort, to give up on your hidey hole where no one dare indtrude. You need to go out into the world. So go. I'll wait.

Okay. (I'm patient, but a few of you took your sweet time, not that I'm complaining.) Sit down with your pad of paper, your lap top, your fancy writing apparatus that I would name if I new what it was but being rather slow technologically, I am not certain what else there is for a writer to write with.

Be that as it may, we can begin with the exercise.

• Set up the scene: What does the air smell like, what time of day, who is there with you, what are you surrounded by, are you inside or outside?

• Remember, details matter: This is scene building, not plot building. See colors and shapes and sounds and show with your words, forgetting why these things are there, concentrating instead on their physical reality. 

• Metaphors, similes, they matter, too: Start making connections. Don't worry about continuity. If you already described the soda machine, you can still revisit that machine if you have a metaphor that strikes you as apt. Revisit a third time if you want, don't worry. Maybe there's just something that strikes you about that soda machine that you keep coming back to, that you need to describe.

• Forget the above point: Don't get stuck spending all day on that damn soda machine. What's wrong with you, anyway? If an object or person or the condition of light really strikes you, it probably will be with you for awhile. No need to spend too much time on this one thing- you will remember when you get home and you can expand this element more later. So move along There exists too much of a good thing.

• Scene building is the first step, got it?: If you have the scene set, decided due diligence is done, then it is time to move on. Maybe there is an odd individual walking about, or there is an interesting position of objects that are out of the ordinary. Or maybe there is to much order or- you get the picture? Pick an element and then tweak that element. 

Who is that girl who seems so nervous? She was sitting, then pacing, then kicking that soda machine as if it owed her money. Now, is she crying?

Why?

• Introduce your imagination: What if a man with a gun runs on scene? A dog who seems agitated and ready to bite? What if that soda machine starts to glow? Unleash the writer's eye onto your well-known (now) scene. How does everything play out, what are the interactions?

Go home, take what you wrote and see if you can enliven your own writing by including more detail, more showing, more scene setting. Remember we live in a world and so do your characters. Show it.