I Quit And Other Sensible Ideas Or Five Reasons To Stay A Writer

I Quit And Other Sensible Ideas - Or, Five Reasons To Stay A Writer

It comes along more frequently than not: The thought that you’re insane and should pursue a career that doesn’t stomp on your pride or demolish your ego. You have the hopes of fame and fortune to comfort you at times, but not often enough to keep doubt from gnawing at your mind.

Discouragement is a constant companion. You face rejections. You spend time, money and energy with no guarantee of financial gain (and if you’re published, you face rejections; spend time, money and energy with no guarantee of financial gain). You endure looks of healthy disdain from people when you reveal you’re a writer. If you’re a literary writer, you’re regarded with some awe; a genre author; however, is looked upon with the same reverence as a stripper.

At times like these, quitting seems like a sensible thing to do. I would encourage it, if you are constantly depressed and on the verge of madness. It isn’t worth your sanity and publishing isn’t an industry that is concerned with keeping you sane. Drinking may no longer be common among writers, but it certainly is a temptation.

If rejections make you want to bang your head against the wall, writing is painful and the thought of another damn story swimming in your head makes you nauseous - Stop. Now. If you can’t stop, there’s help. Here are five reasons to stay a writer:

You don’t have to submit your work. There’s no obligation for a writer to share their work with editors and critics (Emily Dickinson is a fine example) you can write for the pleasure of it. If you do wish to publicize your work, you can self-publish. However, you don’t need to be published to be a writer (I know I keep saying this, but I will continue to do so until I am believed). Validation is great, creation divine. Create, explore, indulge! Be free. Write.

For immortality. When you die, there is a distinct possibility that your unpublished works will be discovered, you’ll be proclaimed a genius, your books will be translated into many languages both live and dead, turned into a film every few decades and inspire legions of writers who are obscure and writing anyway. If you don’t write, there will be nothing to discover.

Revenge. Remember that teacher who bloodied your beloved essays with red marks? That scathing critique partner with ‘helpful advice?’ That insolent editor who didn't even bother to send a form rejection, but scribbled ‘No thanks’ on your query? Well, write to show the bastards! Strong emotions are a great motivation to write. Write to prove them wrong.

We need stories. Naturally, literary snobs would beg to differ, thinking literature is being polluted by uneducated neophytes who have the audacity to write because they have the ability to type their names.

Fortunately, I find their opinions as necessary as Athletes’ foot. Therefore, I implore you to tell your tales in your voice. No copycats please. It doesn’t matter if your prose doesn’t ring like Jane Austen, echo like J. California Cooper, bellow like Mark Twain, sing like JK Rowling’s or linger like Anne Lamott’s. We need stories to survive. Help us.

You get to determine your success. Writing can afford you big and little successes. The poem that brought a smile to your friend’s face, the essay that saved the front page of the neighborhood newsletter, the short story that helped a lonely teenager through a hard time, the novel that opened someone’s mind to a new way of thinking.

Okay, so you may never hit the bestseller’s list, win a National Book Award or any award for that matter. Perhaps only the sky will know your gifts. You’re living a dream few people allow themselves to experience. They talk about writing--some very loudly--but few do it. The world bends to those who proclaim who they are without apology (okay it doesn’t actually bend, but it does bow a little).

Because you must. That’s reason enough for me. I don’t have a style or voice that many know and my work isn’t breaking any records. There are times I want to throw up my hands and say, “Enough! I quit!” And the world sighs with relief, and I sigh feeling in control of my future. I stand up from my desk determined never to return. Then a little voice says... “There was this woman who discovered she was married to the wrong man...”

BONUS : If You Love To Write, Do It With Fountain Pens

Fountain pens aren't ordinary writing instruments: they are works of art. Just like timepieces, fountain pens are meticulously crafted by skilled artists and engineers to come up with well designed yet fully functional fountain pens. That is why collectors keep it and pass it on to the next generation as a sort of heirloom.

Fountain pens resemble the imprint of old quill and ink. The difference, however, lies at the ink flow: today’s fountain pens are consistent while quill and ink has a thick print when newly dipped and pale when ink is running dry. Yet for writers and history buffs, fountain pens are the nearest (and practical) replica of the old writing instrument.

Writing is always smooth when using a fountain pen. A reservoir for the ink is controlled by a nib at the tip of the pen. Flow is controlled by capillary action with the help of gravity. Unlike the ballpoint pen, a fountain pen has no breaks when scribbled unless its ink is almost depleted. Also, a fountain pen’s ink complements most writing papers because it is water-based, in contrast to other pens that use chemical-based inks. A fountain pen only includes dye and surfactant as part of ingredients.

All expensive fountain pens are refillable. There are, of course, the disposable types which are of lesser quality and value. However, a disposable fountain pen will not make your writing look good as a real fountain pen can. A real fountain pen will do justice to your penmanship.

However, only a few people really do use this fine pen for writing. They believe that its value may diminish. However, those in the academe believe otherwise. The more you use your fountain pen, the more it becomes an important object because it becomes a part of you; it form part of your personal academic studies and professorial duties.

In fact, as a form of tradition professors from Ivy League schools use fountain pens to bestow honor to people, especially to a colleague. For instance, in the movie, "A Beautiful Mind," it has been shown that professors from the university honored John Nash by offering their expensive fountain pens as gifts upon his table.

Each fountain pen is unique; not merely in design but in the quality of ink and ink flow. Handwriting experts call it the pen’s ‘fingerprint.’ This unique quality of a fountain pen symbolizes the individuality of the person who is using it and the original and work of art that a writer can wield with such a fine object. Indeed, all over the world, writers recognize the beauty behind a fountain pen: the symbolism behind the object and fine writing which the object brings.

Lovers and connoisseurs of fountain pens created websites to congregate and talk on everything about pens, most especially about fountain pens. Pen balance, ink flow and ergonomics are just some of the terms you can expect to find in the forums. These people just love fountain pens so much that they are even studying and anatomically classifying each fountain pen.