Besides the comments posted in my last article, I received a number of e-mails directly to me. That's fine. I understand sometimes a person has a personal comment or question and I'm always happy to chat with my fellow Warpies. In case you didn't catch the column it was "Writing should always be fun."
I imagine I should have probably headed that a little differently. I should have said "Creative writing should always be fun." But I didn't, and hindtyping like hindsight is always 20/20.
I have had a few comments from friends in the newspaper business who disagreed with my heading. One said he started out writing and copyediting obituaries and that certainly wasn't fun. Another buddy said he started on the youth sports page covering little league scores. Parents would drop off the information at his desk in a handwriting that wasn't intelligible even to an ancient Egyptian. He related how he then would get a nasty phone call from a parent when he misspelled little Johnnie Googlenockerhousin's name in the box score.
Enough! Creative writing should be fun.
The most common question I receive personally is, "How does a person make any money writing?" Often if I sense the person can accept a dose of my humor, I reply"By accident". I then go on to answer their specific question or questions.
Now anyone who went to school to be a professional writer and made it either in print or corporate work got there as part of a personal master plan. But there are millions of individuals who write for the joy or the interest or the desire to tell others how they think or feel. Perhaps what they know is something they want to share and that genre should never be short changed. People have made new careers from writing about fixing houses to taking care of pets and have made solid ancillary incomes writing about their specialty.
What many writers don't understand is that the one thing they are the world's leading authority on is themselves. And it is these honest insights into their lives that they share with us that might make the accident of a writing career occur. I joke that these accidents are just like the ones in real life. Sometimes they are minor fender benders that will bring in a few dollars. Sometimes they are serious collisions with a paying source and once in a while they are head on collisions with wealth, fame and fortune. I like to think my career has been a series of side-swipes but I have had enough that they added up to something larger. I have no yacht or expensive sports car but to date the power company hasn't been able to take my power line down and tell me to apply for state aid.
Now to finish my probably lame analogy, it is important to understand you have to get out on that writing road in order for anything good or bad to happen to you. It is also important to continue to drive and continue to become a better driver. The more you are out there, the better chance of having a collision with a serious source of income.
I hope all of you understand I am far from the person who knows all the answers to writing. I have been around long enough however that I am close to knowing all the questions.
Like I said, creative writing should be fun and what other hobby costs as little as this one. It also can lead to something more but it doesn't happen overnight and it doesn't happen without working just as hard at it as you would any hobby that you want to become good at.
I hope all of you don't think I am belaboring a point today. It is just that the feedback to me personally at my e-mail address said that more conversations about this marvelous thing called writing are of interest to many.
Please feel free to drop me a note. I learn something myself every time I converse with one of you. We all share a kinship, a bond as it were. And the entire world is our highway.
Freelance writer, columnist, author and writing coach, ex-Chicagoan Mike Fak presently resides in Central Illinois. More information about Mike's services are available at his home website www.mikefak.com
Mike currently writes humor columns for searchwarp bi-weekly and is the managing editor of www.lincolndailynews.com
» left by sue thom from nj (66 days 11 hours ago.)
hi mike, "...What many writers don't understand is that the one thing they are the world's leading authority on is themselves. And it is these honest insights into their lives that they share with us that might make the accident of a writing career occur..."
that sounds about right, in my case, anyway.
i've always heard, "write about what you know."
that's when the keys have a mind of their own, and the words just keep flowing.
thanks for a good article,
best regards,
sue
» left by Mike Fak(3,276) Mike Fak (65 days 18 hours ago.)
Thanks Sue. Yes sometimes the keys take over and you have to read what they are saying yourself. Mike
» left by Anonymous (66 days 9 hours ago.)
Mike, it's annoying to those who love and know me how literal I can be about things. Because of that, I tend to over analyze, too. I've been working on both. I did not take the title as literal as those replies in your inbox. Only a sicko would enjoy writing an obituary column. There are exceptions, of course. What I got from the title during analyzation is when I write, it should not be laborious but enjoyable. I am not a writer, so to speak, so my point of view is skewed. When it becomes a chore, it doesn't flow easily anyway so I put it on hold. Professional writers don't have that luxury unless perhaps, self-employed? The benefit to us from those replies in your inbox is they birthed another excellent piece from you to share with us. You're correct, writing is a topic of great interest, especially to Warpies and the masses. Thank you for being a conscientious contributor.
» left by Mike Fak(3,276) Mike Fak (65 days 18 hours ago.)
Thanks Anon. I did the corporate writing for a while and that was indeed a chore.
All of us here have the same "bug" of course and in a way this site is a giant group therapy. Mike
» left by Teresa Ortiz(4,542) Teresa Ortiz (66 days 2 hours ago.)
Hi Mike, Thanks for the encouragement. I have hope because my motto has always been "I'm an accident waiting to happen." Actually its a phrase assigned to me by those who know me well. I do appreciate how you combine humor with wisdom.
» left by Dianne Lehmann(2,576) Dianne Lehmann (65 days 11 hours ago.)
Hi Mike. I liked the first article and got what you were saying. I do think that this one is even better yet. And you give me hope also. I will just keep plugging away at it and maybe one day something will come of it. Well, I don't think you could stop me writing anyway. I didn't know that we were "Warpies." I like that. And I have felt that we are a community of like-minded individuals that support each other. I am grateful for the day that I found you, and SearchWarp, and all the other writers. Thank you. Dianne
» left by Mike Fak(3,276) Mike Fak (65 days 8 hours ago.)
Hello Dianne, I feel the same about you and many of our friends here at the warp.
Yes, for some of us writing is as essential as breathing. It is a blessing and a curse all wrapped up in a compulsion...so we live with it and do what we can. Mike
» left by Danny Davids(13,522) Danny Davids (63 days 15 hours ago.)
Hmmmm...I've been called warped before, but never a Warpie. Does this mean we can start having our own conventions and junk? :)
» left by Mike Fak(3,276) Mike Fak (63 days 15 hours ago.)
I believe we should Danny. I think Bruce and Jean should rent out a hotel somewhere and fly us all in for free. Mike
» left by Myla Madson(2,348) Myla Madson (63 days 15 hours ago.)
Hey Mike, Myla here. Funny timing with the whole writing is like a car accident analogy as I was recently in an accident myself. Actually it was my car that was in the accident. Out in a parking lot where someone backed into me while I was in the store. left a pretty big dent but no note on the winshield offering an apology or insurance info. Typical of my life, I get in an accident where maybe I can draw some insurance money and I'm not even there...much like my writing career will always be I imagine. Hey, great stuff as always and I think you probably do know most of the answers we struggling wannabe writers have only you leave us pretty demoralized with your wonderful, professional writing style. I'l l be gunning for you if our paths ever cross out on the highway of life somewhere, or a deserted parking lot where I'll leave a note with a heart filled apology for your critique..he-he, lol
» left by Mike Fak(3,276) Mike Fak (63 days 15 hours ago.)
You do just fine MYla. Remember I'm an oldie and this journey took about 20 years. You won't want to hit me by the way. I still drive my old construction truck around. I joke that it was a Ford F-150 but with the rust it is now a Ford 117. 37% of it has rusted off. Hang in their young lady. You have talent. Mike
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