Why in the world would you EVER want to be an author? You gotta be CRAZY!

Think about it...it's probably the only profession in which if you make an income of $5000 over a three year period you're considered a success. Writers will high-five their writer friends, "Heck ya! Look at me now!" and TRULY believe that all their sweat, tears, endless hours of writing (years and years worth), self doubts (there will be plenty of those), and lots of rejection (lets not even go there) was all worth it.

Now, lets contrast that with any other profession, shall we?

A lawyer who makes five G's over a three year period would be considered a REALLY bad lawyer. A doctor making five thousand bucks in that same time...ummm...how many patients did he kill?

Even part-time pizza delivery guys will make three times that amount, working only a few hours a week, AND they get to smell like pepperoni and cheese, which is a bonus.

So why in the world would ANYONE want to become an author, because it's obviously not for the money (author's making lots of money--ha, that's hilarious)?

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So if it's not for the money, then it must be for the recognition, right? Ha,ha, ha...Oh wait, I'm not supposed to be laughing.

Yeah, recognition...in a world where EVERYONE is a writer (don't believe me...just take a peek at twitter. It's mind boggling), exactly how is an author supposed to stand out in the crowd and get their face, let alone their name, recognized? If anyone has the answer to this one, please paste it in the comment section below *wink wink*.

So if we've ruled out writing for the money and for the recognition, it must be for the pure relaxation and joy that comes from the act of writing--that's gotta be it!

*wags finger and demands self to stop laughing and be serious*

I don't think I've felt relaxed in years! And in fact, now that I have a book out there fighting for attention among kabillions of other books, I think I've never been more on edge in all my life *takes a break to hit refresh on my Amazon listing*. Lets not mention how the actual process of writing and editing can take it's toll on a person's psyche and self-perception, because boy, does it!

INTERNAL DIALOGUE:
"I suck!"
"I'm on the cusp of writing something profound!"
"I suck!"
"This is the best idea EVER!"
"This blows!"
"I suck! I suck! I suck!"
"I'm not getting out of this bed, and you can't make me!"
"Okay, let's write some more!"

THIS ISN'T HEALTHY, FOLKS! There should a public awareness campaign or something that should warn people, specifically young children, that becoming a writer/author is bad for your health--both physical (I have writers butt) and mental (I'm not normal).

So, more than likely I will put more money into my writing career than I will get out of it (editing costs, graphic artist costs, marketing costs, etc...).

My name will only be chanted by my mother, "Did you hear about my daughter? She wrote this book called...wait a minute...shoot, I forgot, but it's a good book...or so she tells me."

And I will never feel relaxed again--EVER--because despite knowing all of the above, I will keep on writing.

Yep, you heard me right, I will keep on writing.

Because I may always be poor, and I may only be considered famous in my parents eyes, and I may never know what it is like to live life without a big knot of stress and tension in my neck and shoulders, but DANG IT...I am an author and have no idea how not to be!

So why would anyone want to be an author? I don't know. I guess, for me, it's because the alternative seems so much worse.

Why do you put yourself through this craziness? Why do you write despite the odds? How do you define success in your writing career? Let's chit-chat in the comment section below. We'll call it therapy :)

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