Born to Write

[yukinoomoni]

"Writing is different," Salinger insists. "Other people get into occupations by accident or design; but writers are born. We have to write. I have to write. I could work at selling motels, or slopping hogs, for fifty years, but if someone asked my occupation, I'd say writer, even if I'd never sold a word. Writers write. Other people talk."

--JD Salinger, in the novel "Shoeless Joe" by WP Kinsella.

I have no idea if the real author JD Salinger ever felt this way - he very well could have - but his fictional representative has said it perfectly in a way I never really could. How many of you on this reading list write and write and write, and go to sleep thinking, "I'm a writer," and yet you haven't even sold anything yet, or you work day jobs that appear to label you otherwise?

That is my exact and precise sentiment, that quote right there, on how I feel.

Comments

[mlik.livejournal.com]

Yes. I'm a Technical Writer, which I like because I get to play with technology, even though it's not really fancy things like lasers and spaceships.

[yukinoomoni.livejournal.com]

That must be really fun.

[mlik.livejournal.com]

Fun? Meh. It's a job. Though the fun part is when I get to draw diagrams using Adobe Illustrator. That part is too fun to be considered work. So at least that's good. I can apply the drawing skills to my video games so it's a means to an end. Really I do it to support my video and board game habits. :P