I'm a kind of a Jack of all Trades, Master of One. I play piano, I sing, I draw, I sew, I cook, I shoot, I play tennis. I speak one language fluently and three not so well. I've dreamed of acting, of teaching, of being a federal agent. And yet, the only thing I'm good enough at to make a career out of is writing.
But sometimes I wonder, do I really want to be an author? Because that means writing, and a lot of times I want to do anything but write. Often I just can't seem to get a single sentence onto the page, much less beautiful prose. It's like trying to squeeze a pea-sized drop out of an empty sample tube of moisturizer.
Last year in August I wrote a post about a quote by Gloria Steinem. "I do not like to write; I like to have written." I ran across a nearly identical quote in The Write Practice, and it's by Dorothy Parker (20th century American writer). "I hate writing; I love having written." It's comforting to know I'm not alone and that feeling love and hate for writing doesn't mean I shouldn't become an author. Especially because I have no idea what I could do besides write...
Here is the post where I found the quote: What is the Most Satisfying Part of Writing?
But sometimes I wonder, do I really want to be an author? Because that means writing, and a lot of times I want to do anything but write. Often I just can't seem to get a single sentence onto the page, much less beautiful prose. It's like trying to squeeze a pea-sized drop out of an empty sample tube of moisturizer.
Last year in August I wrote a post about a quote by Gloria Steinem. "I do not like to write; I like to have written." I ran across a nearly identical quote in The Write Practice, and it's by Dorothy Parker (20th century American writer). "I hate writing; I love having written." It's comforting to know I'm not alone and that feeling love and hate for writing doesn't mean I shouldn't become an author. Especially because I have no idea what I could do besides write...
Here is the post where I found the quote: What is the Most Satisfying Part of Writing?
Do you ever hate what you love to do?
I completely understand! There have been times I've thought of writing a book, but there's a huge difference between writing for fun and writing for publishing, and I think having to rewrite it over and over would just kill the whole thing for me. If I could just knock something out and shoot it out there then sure! I envy people like GK Chesterton who could do that and produce masterpieces first time out!
ReplyDelete-Adrian
Oh, I envy those people, too!
DeleteI'm actually a person who likes editing and revising though. Getting it all out on the page is the hardest part for me. So, I just need to make myself sit down and do it. Deadlines are really helpful for me.
Maybe if you wrote your book and set it aside for a while, you'd come back and either be satisfied with it being unpublished or be refreshed enough to rewrite.
Oh I totally understand! This has been my lament for ages! That's when I usually use a Nacho Libre voice and declare, "There is no place for me in this world. So I weell go into the weelderness. Probably, to die." Ahaha. There are many times that I don't feel like making art at all. But indeed, there's nothing else that I am exceptionally good at, really. I completely agree with "Jack of all trades, master of one." But after all the hullabaloo, I think the right thing is the thing you keep coming back to. :)
ReplyDeleteHahaha! I don't remember that Nacho Libre quote, but I'll have to start saying it, too. I'm glad my own sister who makes such glorious paintings can understand my dilemma! Well, I'm glad if writing is my right thing then, because I do keep coming back to it.
Delete