S.J. Lewis
Answering this question could easily turn into another book. I'll try to keep it shorter than that.
If you're looking to become rich or famous from your writing, be prepared to deal with disappointment. There are a lot of other writers out there, and for every Norman Mailer or Stephen King, there are thousands of authors hardly anyone has ever heard of. This isn't to say that you have no chance of becoming rich or famous, but your odds may be a bit better if you buy lottery tickets.
If you're hoping to make a little extra money, writing often pays less than minimum wage.
If you write because you like to tell stories and share them with others, the lack of remuneration and absence of fame will sting a lot less. There's something rewarding about seeing your own book in print, with your name on it. Thanks to the Internet, getting to that point is easier than ever, but so many people are taking advantage of that that the main problem facing a writer (aside from actually writing, of course) is finding a way not to get lost in all the background noise.
Finally, a bit of advice I picked up some time ago. I'm told that it comes from Robert Heinlein:
First, you must WRITE.
Second, you must FINISH what you write.
If you're looking to become rich or famous from your writing, be prepared to deal with disappointment. There are a lot of other writers out there, and for every Norman Mailer or Stephen King, there are thousands of authors hardly anyone has ever heard of. This isn't to say that you have no chance of becoming rich or famous, but your odds may be a bit better if you buy lottery tickets.
If you're hoping to make a little extra money, writing often pays less than minimum wage.
If you write because you like to tell stories and share them with others, the lack of remuneration and absence of fame will sting a lot less. There's something rewarding about seeing your own book in print, with your name on it. Thanks to the Internet, getting to that point is easier than ever, but so many people are taking advantage of that that the main problem facing a writer (aside from actually writing, of course) is finding a way not to get lost in all the background noise.
Finally, a bit of advice I picked up some time ago. I'm told that it comes from Robert Heinlein:
First, you must WRITE.
Second, you must FINISH what you write.
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