From: julie@pascal.org

On Sunday, June 22, 2014 12:57:08 PM UTC-6, C. E. Gee wrote:
> On Saturday, June 14, 2014 8:27:18 AM UTC-7, mumble wrote:
> 
> > 
> 
> > 
> 
> > Advertising, marketing oneself, becoming a "ride-along" to the 
> 
> > 
> 
> > publishing industry... what a load of mercenary twaddle, apparently 
> 
> > 
> 
> > "writers" today are looking for money but not capable of obtaining it 
> 
> > 
> 
> > through more efficient means than sucking up to the publishing industry, 
> 
> > 
> 
> > which leads me to conclude that the modern lot's unlikely to ever come 
> 
> > 
> 
> > up with anything justifying Edward Bulwer-Lytton's famous adage "The pen 
> 
> > 
> 
> > is mightier than the sword" since their only real interest in the pen 
> 
> > 
> 
> > seems to be applying it to a checkbook.
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone writing for money is a fool.  There's many other easier and more
productive ways to make money.  
> 
> 
> 
> One should write only if one is driven to write by muse or id -- or perhaps
by destiny.



Pppbbbt!  May as well say that there's no reason *but* money to write, because
there are many other far easier, and sociable, types of recreation.

Writing is work.  Most of the people who write to amuse themselves could just
as well *imagine it all in their heads* and call it good.

Seriously, obviously, people should write for whatever reason they personally
have to write. I dislike the old saw that one should only write if they have
some arcane compulsion to do so for two reasons... 1) it perpetuates the
belief that writing is 
something that happens naturally instead of something that can be developed
and learned, and 2) it excuses jerkish behavior and bad advice on the theory
that anyone who should write *can't* be discouraged from doing so.

-Julie

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