Not the money

I probably don’t have enough years left to recoup either the time or my recent investments in writing…and don’t need to. That isn’t an objective. To achieve a small profit some year might be a pleasant byproduct, but I’m not writing for the money.

The efforts to write and the initiatives to improve it exercise the mind in healthy ways, and the inevitable decline in strength and energy of later years won’t affect this form of activity much. Every day brings something new to learn, and the lessons never run out.

The creative process also causes me to interact positively and regularly with a small group engaged in a similar authoring journey. I find myself looking forward to the occasional emails from Elizabeth, Mark, Cara, and Jim with excited anticipation. Messages from them often include a new tip, resource, or discovery to share, and their enthusiasm is contagious.

The number one reason I write, however, is this:

“Your poem about the gymnastic meet made me cry.”

“Tom Burns made me laugh!”

“Your book made me think.”

Now and then, I get notes like these from readers. Some communications come as Amazon or Goodreads reviews from people I’ve never met, or likely ever will, living in different states, or even different countries than me. Not only do the messages make my day, but they provide all the incentive I need to keep writing. I doubt I’m much different from even the most famous authors in this respect. The power to affect someone positively is a worthy accomplishment even if the value can’t be quantified in economic terms. Skilled writers, artists, and musicians achieve the effect regularly with their work, and they provide lofty benchmarks for the rest of us… but not impossible ones.

A song can motivate an audience to clap spontaneously to its beat; a painting may randomly trigger a deep emotion, or lines of prose can cause the eyes to water. Art transcends the value of its medium when it touches a part of our heart or soul, and no formula exists for exactly how to accomplish that. As authors, we know we succeeded when someone tells us — a payment that transcends the importance of a small royalty check from Amazon.