If You Are Not Writing For Love & Money, Should You Be?

One thing I have trouble tolerating is a jaded writer. I find evidence of them in open Facebook groups and they drive me away in about .5 seconds.

Why do I flee? Because I don’t want what they are having, to paraphrase the famous line from When Harry Met Sally.

These are writers who have turned over their idealism to cynicism and let it wear them down. They have let what they perceive as the system define them and determine their attitudes and actions.

The solution to this reminds me of a quote that my friend and mentor Jane Friedman lives by. The quote is by Joseph Campbell who wrote The Hero’s Journey and many other very wise books.

“Is the system going to flatten you out and deny you your humanity, or are you going to be able to make use of the system to the attainment of human purposes?”

This is a good question for writers to answer on a daily basis, so no wonder that Jane has made it her mantra.

It’s all too easy to be cynical. I would even go so far to say that it’s lazy. But it takes energy and determination to want to express yourself and to steer your self-expression in ways that positively impact the world.

How many times a day do you experience someone saying something cynical on Facebook or Twitter or somewhere else?

You know what I suggest?

I suggest you unfriend them or unfollow them and get back on your creative quest.

Recognize that cynics and whiners and blamers are never going to do you or your writing career any good.

Also, your time is valuable and your energy is precious. So do not waste even one second with negative, draining people.

And PS, it’s not your job to fix them or make them feel better, either. That’s their job. Let them do it.

I can tell you right now that those people are not going to be able to use the system for human purposes. You have to be smarter than your sources to leverage the system in ways that are good.

Since your writing career is yours, you should love it. Not in an overly sensitive, cloying way, but in a joyful, generous way.

No one wants to participate in anything else, for all of the reasons I just mentioned.

And if you need an attitude adjustment on any of these points, feel free to set up a coaching call with me. Because everyone gets down or discouraged at various points in their writing career — that’s normal.

But letting the disappointments and the setbacks make you cynical — that’s an affliction and it impacts others negatively.

You have to decide if whatever is impeding you is going to stop you or make you wiser and more resilient.

Really, writing career success is so simple. You move away from what isn’t helpful and move towards what is helpful, just like in regular life.

So go follow Jane because she’s helpful. And she isn’t going to let you fall into cynicism or self-pity. And that’s hard to come by in this world!

Writing for love and money? This sounds idealistic. But your unique path is the only one worth pursuing, so go for it.

Your journey won’t look like anyone else’s in the rear view…and this is how it should be.

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