'Why do you write?' they demanded
Why do you write?
That question is similar to these questions:
Why did you start doing drugs?What were you thinking when you let yourself get knocked up?Why did you back your pickup truck over little Johnny's bike?When you said, "Run, it's the cops," did you think things would be okay?How many times have I told you to do your homework before doing Twitter?
Experience has taught most of us that those who ask such questions are not expecting a rational answer. They want an apology or, perhaps, revenge.
When my mother asked, "Why did you throw a baseball through the bedroom window?" she didn't want to hear a story that made it look like throwing a baseball through a bedroom window was okay. Here's what I did not say:
Mom, I've wanted to throw a baseball through a bedroom window ever since Dad taught me how to throw a fastball. In little league, coach said I had good stuff and that if I put my heart and soul into it, I would one day be able to throw like Nolan Ryan. Breakking this window has been a dream of mine.
The only place a writer can use a story like that about why he or she writes is on a blog tour. The rest of the time, people don't want to hear it. In addition to that apology, they expect the accused writer to be contrite, confess fully, and do penance. When all is said and done, they will say, "Go and write no more."
There is no cure for writing. You take it one day at a time knowing that if you pick up a pencil or open a dictionary, months of abstinence will disappear in a heartbeat. Quitting and staying clean require constant vigilance, and a daily prayer for writer's block.
--Malcolm
That question is similar to these questions:
Why did you start doing drugs?What were you thinking when you let yourself get knocked up?Why did you back your pickup truck over little Johnny's bike?When you said, "Run, it's the cops," did you think things would be okay?How many times have I told you to do your homework before doing Twitter?
Experience has taught most of us that those who ask such questions are not expecting a rational answer. They want an apology or, perhaps, revenge.
When my mother asked, "Why did you throw a baseball through the bedroom window?" she didn't want to hear a story that made it look like throwing a baseball through a bedroom window was okay. Here's what I did not say:
Mom, I've wanted to throw a baseball through a bedroom window ever since Dad taught me how to throw a fastball. In little league, coach said I had good stuff and that if I put my heart and soul into it, I would one day be able to throw like Nolan Ryan. Breakking this window has been a dream of mine.
The only place a writer can use a story like that about why he or she writes is on a blog tour. The rest of the time, people don't want to hear it. In addition to that apology, they expect the accused writer to be contrite, confess fully, and do penance. When all is said and done, they will say, "Go and write no more."
There is no cure for writing. You take it one day at a time knowing that if you pick up a pencil or open a dictionary, months of abstinence will disappear in a heartbeat. Quitting and staying clean require constant vigilance, and a daily prayer for writer's block.
--Malcolm
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