Price Tag

One of the most common things I say about my writing is 'I can't wait until I start making money so I can quit my job.'  Why do I say that?  Well, first and foremost because I don't actually like my day job.  I work at a registry, so I get people yelling at me all day because their documents aren't compliant with government policies, because there are fines on their account they weren't aware of, or because they want me to do something that I just cannot do.

It can get frustrating at times, and when I find myself angry and annoyed, the thought that comes time mind first is: 'I could be writing'.

The thing is, though, writing isn't exactly a guarantee.  And even if it were -- even if I could have someone tell me that as soon as I submit something I will be published -- that doesn't necessarily mean that the money I do make off of my writing will be enough to not have to work a day job.

I know that.  I am aware of the facts of the writing world.  Of course, my dream is to not just get published, but to also have my book made into a movie.  One that does quite well in the box office and earns me a lot of money.

Despite all of that, though, that's not why I write.  When I'm getting those words down on paper, my thoughts aren't on how much those words are going to make me.  It couldn't be, because then I wouldn't be writing what the story deserved.  I would be writing what I thought would sell, and that's just not how I operate as a writer.

No, there's something in me that makes me want to keep writing.  I'm not happy unless I'm writing/editing (and able to complain about it).  This is what I want to do with my life, not because it could make me money, but because I want to be someone that effects the lives of others.  I want to be the name on the cover of the book that people love.  I want to have my website bookmarked under 'favourite authors'.  Hell, I want to write something that pisses someone off so much that they throw their book across the room.  Only to go pick it up a few minutes later and keep reading.

Because, no matter what I say about wanting to make money off of my writing, the truth of the matter is whether or not I get paid for it, I want to keep writing.  If I were stranded on a desert island, I would still be writing down everything I could, whether it be on the sand, or with makeshift tools that allowed me only to etch the words (or pictures) into the walls of a cave.

This is what I want to do.  No matter how successful I am.  No matter how many people tell me I shouldn't or can't.  I'm a writer, and I can't stop the words that form in my head.  I have to write them down.  I have to tell my stories.

While I do hope to one day have a price tag on my books, I will never place one on my writing.

What are your dreams and goals for writing?