Enjoyment, or satisfaction?

The View from My Desk

“Do you actually enjoy writing,” a cousin asked at a recent family gathering, “or is it something you do because you want your work to be published?”

There’s no simple answer to that question.

Would I continue to write novels if I knew for certain that my work would not be published? No; doing so would be like raising vegetables for the purpose of storing them in the basement until they’re ready to be tossed onto the compost pile. Just as I grow corn as food to be eaten, I write novels as books to be read.

On the down side, writing takes time away from other activities. I spent over two years getting my first novel ready to send to ECW Press. Now that I’ve started on a second, I face hundreds of hours at my desk plotting and outlining, writing and revising. If I’m lucky, it will be almost ready to send to the publisher when my first novel hits the shelves sometime next year.

Writing also, is hard. And competitive. In spite of my best efforts, there are hundreds of mystery novels better than mine. Critics can be harsh. Sales can be poor. And what if my publisher doesn’t want my next book?

In reality, though, I like the act of creation. Even though there are days when I’d sooner clean the bathroom, I like making up my own world and peopling it with my own characters. When it goes well, it’s incredibly satisfying. And I appreciate having something interesting to look forward to when I get up in the morning.

There’s a lot to be said for embarking on a new adventure as you approach old age. Writing provides me with that adventure. It’s become an important part of my life. For that, I am grateful.