If It's Tuesday
A writer has two jobs. Many jobs, but these two are important.
One is to learn.
I learn something new - often many somethings new - every day.
I learn about new concepts. People. Tidbits of physics. Jewels. Firefighting techniques. Writing. You name it.
The other job is to share.
This sharing takes place in novels, short stories, articles, essays, ads, blogs, movies, plays. You name it.
Someone asked me why I thought I could tell someone else how to write when I've never sold a novel or few people know my name. Why do I think I can tell someone how to write? Why would anyone listen to me?
What this person didn't know is that I made my living for a few years writing copy. And got paid well for doing it. Nor did this person know that I've sold work to the short market.
My answer was what I've shared here before. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to write. What I do is share what I've learned, what works for me, and how I do certain things. If that helps another writer, I'm happy. If it clues in a non-writing reader about how a writer thinks or works, I'm happy.
My goal here at Under the Tiki Hut is to bring readers and writers together. It is not my goal to offer a free writing class. A lot of my posts are writing related, since writing is what I do. But I only focus on writing one day a week - on Mondays.
Most of the time I write about Arf and Woof. Or about things that happen to me during the day. I blog to share these things with my friends. With you. If you read here, whether or not you comment, you're my friend.
Am I a working writer? Yes. I've sold short stories, articles, essays. But my heart lies with novels, so now I'm hoping one of mine is good enough that someone falls in love with it and wants to represent it. In the meantime, I'm working on a new one. And striving to make it the best one yet.
So keep asking questions. I'll keep answering.
One is to learn.
I learn something new - often many somethings new - every day.
I learn about new concepts. People. Tidbits of physics. Jewels. Firefighting techniques. Writing. You name it.
The other job is to share.
This sharing takes place in novels, short stories, articles, essays, ads, blogs, movies, plays. You name it.
Someone asked me why I thought I could tell someone else how to write when I've never sold a novel or few people know my name. Why do I think I can tell someone how to write? Why would anyone listen to me?
What this person didn't know is that I made my living for a few years writing copy. And got paid well for doing it. Nor did this person know that I've sold work to the short market.
My answer was what I've shared here before. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to write. What I do is share what I've learned, what works for me, and how I do certain things. If that helps another writer, I'm happy. If it clues in a non-writing reader about how a writer thinks or works, I'm happy.
My goal here at Under the Tiki Hut is to bring readers and writers together. It is not my goal to offer a free writing class. A lot of my posts are writing related, since writing is what I do. But I only focus on writing one day a week - on Mondays.
Most of the time I write about Arf and Woof. Or about things that happen to me during the day. I blog to share these things with my friends. With you. If you read here, whether or not you comment, you're my friend.
Am I a working writer? Yes. I've sold short stories, articles, essays. But my heart lies with novels, so now I'm hoping one of mine is good enough that someone falls in love with it and wants to represent it. In the meantime, I'm working on a new one. And striving to make it the best one yet.
So keep asking questions. I'll keep answering.
Comments
There are a great many of us who earn a living writing everything but books.
And where is the corollary between fame and the ability to teach?
As to the corollary between fame and the ability to teach? Not a clue. My assumption is that unless you're famous, or have more than a book or two published that the person has heard of, then you don't know enough to teach others. But that's my assumption only and may not hold true for anyone else.
I have found that detractors generally are trying to pull you down to their unhappy, unfulfilled level.
Write on!
As Michael said, they seem to think you're not a writer unless you've written a novel. Especially a novel this particular person has heard of. I wrote a post about this not long ago, wondering if it was even worth it to admit to being a writer, simply because of the occasional negative feedback and awkward questions.
Regardless, keep writing and teaching, Carol! If all of us waited to teach others until we were famous, there'd be no teachers. Keep at it!
Just here lately I've received such negative feedback. Thank goodness it happens only occasionally. Most of the time if I tell anyone I'm a writer, they look at me like 'wow!' - which isn't great either, but it's better than the negative.
I'll keep blogging because it gets me going in the mornings. I like reaching out and hearing back. And it goes without saying - but I'll say it anyway - that I'll keep writing. It's like breathing.