In my last post, I talked a bit about the material risks of pursuing a writing career: the money and time involved. Now, I’d like to talk about more abstract risks.
Courage
To write is to put pieces of yourself into all your work. An author writes from the soul, baring his thoughts, beliefs, joys, and hopes to a world that may very well look on it all with indifference or contempt. That is a huge risk, especially if your work is meant to sway hearts and minds. You are, for all intents and purposes, metaphorically standing naked before the world. Making your work public is an act of courage.
Disappointment
How have you responded to tepid reception to your book or short story? How long have you labored to complete it, only for it to not live up to your expectations? It happens. It has happened to the greatest authors of the ages. To write for yourself and then tuck away the results can bring some pleasure, but if you make it available to the world, you may find that the world doesn’t see it with the same fondness. It doesn’t mean that you lack talent or diligence, it is simply the way that life turns sometimes.
Time (again)
Well, well, aren’t I a cheat? Putting up “Time” two posts in a row? But I’m talking about it in a different context here. I’ve already dwelt on how writing means putting in the time. But writers are also fighting against time. Every artist does, I suppose. We have so many ideas. Loads and loads, enough to last more than a lifetime. But we only have a lifetime, so we must face the truth that we won’t be able to complete every project that we want to before the end. So, which projects will you focus on? What are your most precious ideas that must be given form and shape? Choose wisely.
Again, apologies if my latest post was a little grim for your liking. To be an author is a great thing, but it carried its own struggles. Worthwhile things always do. I greatly enjoy writing and publishing, even as I acknowledge that it carries immense frustration sometimes. Even so, for those of us who write, we push forward. Don’t stop, even if it seems as if the risks outweigh the rewards. Keep writing.
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Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.
“Hermes is not having the best time. He walks a fine line, and his duty as messenger of Olympus weighs heavily on him. Being a god in the modern age means living in a world that no longer believes in gods. How much can one deity accomplish when no one respects him anymore? And why do his instincts tell him that he, the son of Zeus, is losing favor with his own family?
Tensions abound. The upstart Young Gods play dangerous games using entire cities as their boards. Formless monsters strike from the nighttime shadows, terrorizing hapless mortals. Agents of rival pantheons scheme to thwart Olympus’ designs. In the thick of it all, Hermes does what he does best: trick, lie, and cheat his way to victory.“
Jake W. Powell 
Like you say… it can be heartbreaking but I found it helpful in building my confidence. I found a small press which published short stories. This gave me the experience of being published and having my work reviewed.
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