“Do what you love and the money will come.”
Mama
My mother always said this to me growing up, and Mama was right. When the school teachers pushed me to be a lawyer or a doctor, I wanted to be a creative. With the support of my parents, I was able to be creative at an early age. And it’s something that has stayed with me as an adult.
So what do you love?
What’s your passion?
What keeps you up at night or makes you wake up early in the morning?
If you’re a writer, then why do you write? Do you write because you want to be rich and famous? Do you write because you want to be the next New York Times Bestselling author? Do you write because you want to have “author” after your name? Do you write to have good reviews and accolades?
Those are good goals to have for your career, but they aren’t good motivations to write. A lot can happen between when you first put pen to paper and when you reach your goals. You’ll need something to keep your resolve through the tough parts. You’ll need a deeper passion and vision.
Here’s my personal vision for my writing career:
I use my creativity and organizational skills to plan and write stories that bring smiles, healing and hope to readers.
If I’m using my strengths (my creativity and organization), to actually sit down and write (by planning and writing stories)…
If I’m bringing my best self to my work (by keeping right motives, by staying healthy physically, mentally and spiritually)…
If I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and sharing my work with others to read (be it one reader or many), then I’m fulfilling my vision.
The money and the rest will come. But passion will sustain you during the highs and lows of a writing career. Your personal vision and mission will sustain you.
How about you? Why do you write?
If it’s your passion, then sit down and ask yourself these questions so that you can craft a vision statement:
- What are my strengths and natural skills?
- What brings me joy?
- What would I do even if no one paid me to do it?
- When I look at the world in its ideal state it looks like…? (This question will help you hone in on how your writing will benefit others.)
Answering these questions will help you put together your vision statement for your writing career.
If writing isn’t your passion, if you only want to see your “name in lights,” then I suggest finding what you really love to do and doing it. There’s too much emotional investment, too many sacrifices that have to be made, too many hours involved in learning and honing your craft to simply want to be a star.
Hmmm…that brings me to this song by Jason Upton called “Dying Star” He really speaks to the heart of this issue.
That’s all for now. If you have a vision for your writing career that you’re willing to share, feel free to post in the comment box. I’ll return next week with Part 2 of Career Planning for Writers.
Great post, Preslaysa! My parents weren’t as encouraging as your mother, so I ended up with a business and economics degree, instead of the science degree that I wanted. And of course, since business wasn’t my passion I barely made any money at it. I was much happier when I worked as a geologist, but now I feel like I’ve found my true passion, writing stories of suspense with science thrown in. Blessings to you.