As writers, we write, or we are not truly writers. Instead, we are wannabe’s, and I’ll bet most of you other writers reading this are sick of being accused of being a wannabe, or an also-ran, etcetera and so forth. The derision that’s directed your way by the supposedly solidly successful can really get on anyone’s nerves. Take a look at the program of certain writers’ conferences.
The snobs are not the professional writers who attend the “professionals only” sessions; most of them are wonderful people, from whom anyone can learn something useful. No, the snobs are the ones in charge of those sessions; they are those who label the sessions For published writers only. NO EXCEPTIONS. And by published writers, they mean authors, that is, writers who have had a book published by a mainstream publishing house. That is further to say, by a conglomerate that cares nothing about books in the first place. The fact that many professional writers have had short stories, articles, and children’s stories published in magazines for years seems to escape the planners. If you can’t wave a Random House or Scholastic book in front of them, one that has your name on it, then you are not legitimate and can’t attend their professional writers’ sessions. (One solution to their attitude is to find some colleagues with fire in the belly, and start your own publishing company.)
In between the seasons of glory, writers write whatever they have to write, in order to pay the bills and/or to stay sane in today’s world. A rose is a rose is a rose doesn’t always apply to writing. Much of it is material that is anything but fun to write. Writing complaint letters is a tiresome thing, but it has to be done from time to time. Writing about widgets for widget lovers and receiving 3 cents per published word would be fine, if we didn’t also have to research the subject first. By the time we figure in that time, we’re writing for 1 or 2 cents a word, sometimes 1/2 cent. Can you spell highway robbery? Enough quickly becomes enough in that arena.
Writing to politicians isn’t entertaining, although it can be cathartic. The object, however, is to have some influence on government, trying to prevent many inhumane, insane laws that would otherwise get passed by those who are out of touch with reality. This applies to all levels of government. It’s just about a requirement nowadays that you get involved and try to prevent this country’s accelerating slide into moral decay, into a “let them eat cake” lack of caring, and a spreading atmosphere of dictatorship. But above all, writers write. It is our job to chronicle and comment on the times and the society we live in.