Do you dream of being a free-lance writer or being able to devote most of your time to writing novels or non-fiction books or screenplays?
Back in 1990 the brilliant creator of “Calvin and Hobbes,” cartoonist Bill Watterson, gave a graduation address at his alma mater, Kenyon College. One thing he pointed out will not come as a surprise to most free-lancers:
“You may be surprised to find how quickly daily routine and the demands of 'just getting by' absorb your waking hours.”
When I first went free-lance full time I had visions of spending most of my days being creative, reading, visiting museums and galleries, sitting in coffee shops having great thoughts. Somehow it didn’t work out that way. I’m delighted not to have a normal job but the daily routines and demands do persist.
Of course I also dreamed of overnight success. Now I know the truth of another thing Watterson pointed out:
“..it’s worth recognizing that there is no such thing as an overnight success. You will do well to cultivate the resources in yourself that bring you happiness outside of success or failure. The truth is, most of us discover where we are headed when we arrive. At that time, we turn around and say, yes, this is obviously where I was going all along. It’s a good idea to try to enjoy the scenery on the detours, because you’ll probably take a few.”
In fact, looking back, so far it’s probably been more detour than planned route! Watterson didn’t find success for quite a while:
“To endure five years of rejection to get a job requires either a faith in oneself that borders on delusion, or a love of the work. I loved the work...Drawing comic strips for five years without pay drove home the point that the fun of cartooning wasn’t in the money; it was in the work.”
Some of you may have been writing for five years or more without pay. The same things applies. I think a prescription for happiness is making sure you enjoy the process; if the outcome is the one you want--best-seller status or a movie sale, for instance--that will be the bonus.
Next post: Watterson on selling out.
(Are you interested in the writing advice given by the classic and modern great authors? You'll find it in "Your Creative Writing Masterclass," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)