Monday, January 16, 2012

"I Write For Love, Not For Money!"



The title sentence is one I hear from time to time, and seriously dislike it.

For one thing, it implies that it's impossible to love writing and still want to get paid for your work.

For the other, it often sounds as if those saying it see themselves as better than those who write for a living.

And frankly, to me it sounds like: "My writing is not good enough that anyone would want to pay me for it, so I'm going to put down those who manage to sell their work." Not to mention that I often hear it either from people who are financially supported by their parents (regardless of their age), or from those who do something else for a living, like to write, but for various reasons don't give their writing serious effort and don't dare to attempt to make it more than a hobby.

As for me, I love writing. I couldn't imagine my life without it. And the main reason I want to get paid for writing is so that I can write full-time, so that I don't have to do something else for a living and write only when time/energy/circumstances permit.

And besides, is there anything better than doing what you love most and being paid to do it?

6 comments:

Courtney Rene said...

I'm so with you on this. I love to write. I want to get paid for doing what I love so that I can do more of it.

ctny

Yanting Gueh said...

No, there isn't. There really isn't. :)

Karen Wojcik Berner said...

^^Claudine's comment is mine as well.^^

We are fortunate to have made a living doing what we love. We are blessed, no matter how difficult it can be at various times. I cannot imagine doing anything else.

angel011 said...

Courtney, Claudine, karen, so glad we all agree!

Rena J. Traxel said...

I would continue to write even if I didn't get paid. BUT I want to get paid so that I can write full-time! There is nothing wrong with writing for pay. Heck, writing is a job that requires dedication and practice!

angel011 said...

I'd always write too -- but I'd rather do it full-time, meaning I need to earn enough money doing it.