Wednesday, October 5, 2011

What’s the hardest part of being an writer?

Writing is a solitary pursuit. Although I know some writers who are good at multitasking, none of them can write and socialize at the same time. Sitting in a crowded room while writing doesn’t count.  For many, living a hermit like existence and writing go hand in hand. And all the while cranking the prose, the mind is saying, “Get published. Write another book. Get published. Write another book.” No thought is given to the social aspect.

So finally the book is published. The book is everywhere. Amazon. Barnes and Noble. And dozens of other book sellers. And there it sits like the proverbial wallflower at the party that no one asked to dance.  

Suddenly the solitary pursuit becomes a social experiment of how many ways can to whore the book. Carry some in the car. Go up to total strangers. Have you few in the desk drawer at work. Twitter about the book. Leave Facebook comments. Blog. Book signings. Blog some more.  Book reviews and interviews. Remind relatives and friends to buy the book.

And the wee voice in the back of the head is whispering, “All I wanted to do was get published and write another book.”

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