 The Write Reason for Research |
Author Intrusion: Why Bother?
Writing is a noble, but strange profession. What other profession is so filled with people who want to do it, but just don’t have the time?
“If I just had the time, I could write a best-seller,” is a common refrain at book-signings.
I always answer with, “You should do it, it’s fun.”
Yet it isn’t fun. Writing is hard work. Finding an agent you can trust and a publisher who shares the dream is even more difficult. Handling the absolute despair of the editor’s rewrite is agonizing at best. So why do it?
I like to write inspirational, against-all-odds, types of stories. I get all worked up when the main character is able to succeed when it looks as if there is no hope at all. Still, is that enough to keep you writing?
Years ago, after publishing my first book, I went to work on a second. A good friend of mine stopped by with beer in an attempt to get me away from the computer. “I’m writing,” I said.
“You already did it once, why bother?” he asked.
Fast-forward to about five years and three books later. A mother, who lost her son in a car accident, seeks me out at the funeral home. “Your books have meant the world to me,” she said, as she hugged me tightly.
Why bother?
Because you just might reach someone.
Cliff Fazzolari is a professional writer and prolific author. He is on the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo PICU Parent Advisory Council. He currently resides in Blasdell, New York.
