Digressions: My Life in 500 Words or Less

Every so often, I write about writing in this blog. Mostly I don’t write about writing because the blog is supposed to be about ... well ... digressions, as the title indicates. And those digressions refer to detours from my focus on writing.

But no digression takes me away from my writing for long.

I’m not sure anything could.

So this blog post is all about what writing means to me.

You see, I feel like I was fortunate enough to recognize at an early age what I wanted to do with my life. Even before I reached high-school age, I already knew I would be a writer, professionally and otherwise. That realization is what eventually influenced my decision to go into journalism.

While I made my living writing for newspapers, on my off time I never stopped writing short stories and poems. And I never stopped working on novels.

I’m about 50 years into my fiction writing life.

Was there ever a time I thought, “I quit. I’m not going to write anymore. I can’t keep doing this.”?

Never.

I have never seriously thought that. Not even for a second.

Personally, I don’t feel as if I’m writing only because I choose to but rather because I have to, like breathing. It sustains my life. It is simply icing on the cake that I enjoy it so much.

Have there been times when I’ve questioned my writing skills or effectiveness?

Absolutely. And I am thankful for that.

You see, I believe a writer should always question his or her work. Always. This is how you make sure it is the best it can be. At least by your own standards.

You have no control over the subjective taste of each person who might read your work. Sure, you can cater to readers, based on feedback, but that is another matter entirely. And, in the end, you still question your work, albeit by standards created by others.

Do I consider myself successful, even though I’m not a New York Times best-selling author? Do I consider myself successful, even though I’m not a household name?

For the largest part of my life, I’ve been able to do something I love, and I continue to do it.

I’d call that a big “yes” to both questions.