The Business of Writing?

Writing is one thing. Making money from writing is another thing entirely.

In most occupations, those who do the best work and the most work also make the most money. But that isn't how it works in the writing business. Ask any renowned poet about her earnings from writing poetry if you want to test my premise. Poets seldom make significant money from publishing their poetry. Poetry readings, workshops, grants and fellowships often prove lucrative, but publishing poetry seldom pays well.

The story is similar for most literary writers. Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Rhodes speculates that only a few thousand American writers earn a full-time livings from writing. Worse than that, the pay is poor: 90% of those who write for pay earn less than the average American income from their writing.

To compound the problem, some of the best writers earn little while a few mediocre writers earn enormous sums. That makes writing a cruel business as well as a tough one. But my purpose is not to discourage you from writing -- only to hold up a mirror to the financial reality of the writing business.

If the only reward offered by writing were money, I would advise you to pick another pursuit. For me, however, there are at least four good reasons to write that have nothing to do with money.

First, I can't help myself. I must write. My father was a gardener who couldn't help himself. In the spring, he could not resist breaking the ground, planting things and watching them grow. Writing creates a similar compulsion for me.

Second, I write to learn what I think. When I write I discover what I think. The writing process itself reveals things that research and pondering do not produce. Sometimes, I think that writing and thinking are not two separate things but the same thing.

Third, I must tell stories that only I can tell. There are family stories that will die if I do not write them. I know some stories that no one else knows. Even the stories I share in common with others are unique because of my perspective and voice.

Fourth, writing is an emotional necessity. I write to understand my feelings. Without writing, I am simply confused by my emotions. While writing doesn't always help me sort things out, it usually helps.

Of course, you have your own reasons for writing. And those are the reasons you should pursue your writing. If you never make a dime, it still a good investment. However, if you are fortunate enough to make a living from writing, bless you and everything you write.

DB Dewer

The Kennedy Center Honors

I’m inhaling the Kennedy Center Honors. Tonight the Kennedy Center honors Robert DeNiro, Dave Brubeck, Mel Brooks, Grace Bumbry and Bruce Springsteen. I hope you watched this two hours of pure pleasure.

We celebrate our performing artists once a year. And guess what? We manage this gala in the midst of collegiate bowl fever.

For me and other who love the arts, the Kennedy Center honors are a bigger deal than any sporting event. The annual honoring of American artists is one of the finest things we do as a country. We who call ourselves artists can be proud that we devote our time, energy and creativity to the arts.

DB Dewer

Do You Know Julia Cameron?

If not, you should. She is one of the greatest cheerleaders for writers and artist on today's scene. Julia Cameron has writing credentials anyone would envy. However, if you know about her, it is probably because her book The Artist's Way. If you haven't read it, I recommend it highly.

One of the most useful tools championed by Cameron is Morning Pages. She urges all artists to start the day with Morning Pages. Write three pages of stream-of-consciousness before your day "begins." This allows you to stretch your writing muscles, get your juices flowing and deal with a multitude of personal and professional issues. This is one of the best ways to stay grounded and maintain your creativity as a writer.

There are no limits to what can show up in your Morning Pages. And the editor with the blue pencil will never read these pages. These pages are for your eyes only, and their purpose is to promote and protect your mental/creative health. If you have a hard time getting started on your creative work early in the day, Morning Pages is a great way to kick start things. Consider giving them a try.

DB Dewer

What to Do When You Don't Feel Like Writing

I feel terrible, coughing, sneezing and aching in every joint. I’ve felt this way for a couple of days and it’s getting worse. I’m calling it a cold because I managed to get all my flu shots. Still, my hair hurts, and I’ve always regarded that as a sure indicator of the flu.

My laptop makes it possible to write and post a blog today. And what better topic for today’s blog than writing when you don’t feel up to it? When you commit yourself to writing a blog, you pretty much have to write something every day.

Writer’s Delight provides me a structure for writing when inspiration is absent. My daily blog entries range from 150 words to 300 words. My knowledge of and enthusiasm for the day’s topic influences the length of the blog. But more important is a structure to work within and the commitment to get it done.

There. I've finished today’s post.

DB Dewer

You Guessed It: Terry Gross

My favorite interviewer is Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air, produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia. Although she is a radio journalist, her approach to interviewing would work extremely well for a writer.

Gross prepares for her interviews thoroughly. If a guest has written a book, she reads it. For actors, she sees their latest films and usually some earlier ones as well. She is known for asking off-beat questions that elicits enlightening responses. Her guests list is diverse, encompassing the worlds of the arts, entertainment and politics. Typically hard on politicians, Gross gives leeway to artists and musicians.

For all of her success as an interviewer, she has presided over several notorious interviews in which the guests balked or walked out. Her conflicts with rocker Gene Simmons and Fox News talk show host Bill O'Reilly are legendary.

If you are not familiar with her work, I suggest that you catch an episode of Fresh Air on NPR. I promise that you learn something unexpected.

DB Dewer

The Skilled Interviewer

As a writer you need to develop your interviewing skills. If you are a journalist, the need to conduct interviews is obvious. However, the fiction writer also finds interviews useful. If one of your characters is a collection agent, you will find it useful to interview some real, live debt collectors. Similarly, if one of your characters is a young soldier about to ship out to Afghanistan, perhaps you should talk to some soldiers going to and coming home from that war. Put people in your articles and stories, and your work will move, breathe and live.

When I think about conducting an interview, three interviewers come to mind: Mike Wallace, Barbara Walters and Larry King. Mike Wallace is famous for his ambush interview style. He asks the toughest questions designed to show that the interviewee is a crook of one sort or another. Wallace usually makes his point, and he always makes exciting television.

Barbara Walters takes a softer approach, starting with easy questions that build rapport and let us learn something about the interviewee. Late in her interviews, Walters asks tough questions with significant emotional impact. Frequently, her interviewees cry as they disclose things they did not intend to reveal.

Larry King displays the most low-keyed style of the three. King neither asks tough questions nor spends much time preparing for his interviews. Nonetheless, he manages to get people to reveal a great deal about themselves.

All three interviewers deliver the goods, despite their different interviewing approaches. As a writer, you should develop a style that fits both your personality and your writing objectives.

Tomorrow, I’ll write about my favorite interviewer. Guess who?

DB Dewer

Write on Christmas Day?

You bet. You should write on Christmas day. You should write on your birthday, the Fourth of July and your anniversary. You should write every day. How do I know? Because Frederick Pohl told me so.

Frederick Pohl, science fiction writer and editor extraordinaire, believed in writing 600 words every day. If you refuse to skip a day, never will you experience a dry spell or writer’s block. Equally important, a daily output of 600 (new) words will make you a prolific writer. Do the arithmetic. That would be 600 x 365 = 219,000 words, which equals equals two fat books a year, plus several articles.

Pohl also argued that you should complete every writing project you begin. If you commit to completing every project, no matter how unpromising, you will never abandon a promising project just because it is difficult.

So, quit whining and write something.

DB Dewer