No Money?… Are You Really a Writer? Part 3 of 12

Welcome to all who are new, this is an burner type issue for me and try as I might I’m finding hard to be diplomatic. But I try! I think all writers do make a mark, and all writers are intelligent and make enough connection to show the world that writing is of value.

That being said, I also believe that some money helps, but not at the cost of losing everything you believe in. If as the email suggests we write only for money, than what do we lose? I’m of the view that we would lose not only reader but our own view of life. Greed would overcome our need to write both objectively and with creativity that all writers need.

I’ve noticed a pattern, that this email doesn’t go into detail about, (but have you noticed?) that if an author of a book begins to crave something more than say joy of work. They seem to take longer to get a “good piece out” and that piece doesn’t seem as good as before. We’ve all seen them, where the passion dimmed and something else took hold. I could argue that it was money, and it usually is, as they begin to wonder “what will make me more…?” the formula becomes the same, series once so unique stale.

Or the ones who do it for the reader, the once stale formulaic book is enlivened, the book we wouldn’t touch is a bestseller, because the author made the connections with the reader and people in general. I would dare say that while money is vital, the passion and the connections made for a better book.

There are other downfalls to writing solely for money. I’m not big on health/mind relations, but here’s my take, if you’re in it for money and not with any passion and creativity or whatever else a writer might need, I suspect that this person would get all manner of health problems, after a time, I think everyone has a “button” that makes them excited or do something in an non productive way, but money can drag your health down, especially if it doesn’t come in on a regular basis. One writer Orson Scott Card pointed out that one year he could make $75,000 and the next 10,000… that would not be great if you were in it for big money.

I think that people who write with passion and are creative will soon find a way to get money. As many of you pointed this out I agree totally. It’s a snowball effect, the more you write the better you become, the more sought after… but if you keep grounded the writing is the best it will be, and money will come.

My question for today is this: what drives you the most? Is it passion or creativity?