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Forget Infatuation: Your Writing Career Wants A Commitment

I’ve already discussed that writing is like sex. That’s really just standard creativity talk. Sex and creativity have a lot in common. Not much we can do about it.

However, if you want to have a successful, long-term writing career, than the relationship between you and your work is going to look a lot more like marriage than anything else.

Because marriage isn’t just about love; it’s also about partnership and commitment.

It’s about being in for the long haul, allying complimentary energies, and upholding a long-term relationship based on mutual love and respect.

Some people think marriage is hard. Some people say that it’s work. Others have been burned by marriage or disappointed in love. I realize that this is not an analogy that is going to work perfectly for everyone.

But when I think about serious, committed writing for the long-haul, I can’t help but think of marriage.

Love. Loyalty. Mutual respect. Long-term commitment. That’s what your writing career wants from you. So you’d better get ready to propose if you haven’t already. And after that, you’ll need to figure out how the art of your mutual commitment works.

Because after you commit, you two are going to be stuck with each other. Every day. For better or for worse. In sickness and in health. For the rest of your life. As long as you both shall…succeed, I hope.

What do you think? Are you married to your writing career or not?

~ Photo by hjrosasq

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  • Mariam Kobras February 13, 2012, 4:08 pm

    I would like to add patience. And tolerance. Patience with yourself, and also tolerance with yourself. It will not always be a smooth ride. 

  • Sarah Martinez February 14, 2012, 1:10 am

    I have been following these for a while and appreciate your posts. This one hits what I have been thinking about for a long time. Lady Gaga has a song titled “Marry the Night,” and when she talked about writing it she mentioned how she was marrying her career.  
    I am definately married, even when I forget.

  • Colleen Wright February 25, 2012, 11:12 pm

    I wish I’d thought of it this way long ago. My previous writing relationship was more “on again off again,” and after each “off” it became harder to trust myself to stick with it the next time. Much like a relationship, now that you mention it. I mean, I’d never consider giving up my husband when things got too overwhelming!