THE CAREER NOVELIST
The truth is that every writer is sometimes reluctant to write. An
empty sheet in the typewriter—or, these days, a blank computer
screen—is an intimidating sight. But real writers cope. They get
down to work. My method is to tidy my desk, stalling until time
pressure forces me past my resistance. Writers have all kinds of pri-
vate rituals. The point of them is to lessen anxiety. Whatever the
daily routine, I believe that writing novels should not, on the whole,
be a struggle.
Do not misunderstand me: true writers' block is a real and painful
condition. I know. I have had it. Writers' block will be discussed later
on, but for now I would simply like to suggest that if the quest to
become a career novelist leaves you feeling inadequate, frustrated,
envious, or angry then it is not worth it.
Trust me, you do not have to do this. No one will think less of you
if you are not a rich and famous novelist. If you are exasperated,
burned out, getting nowhere, and cynical about this novel writing
"crap," then quit. Life is tough enough.
If, however, you are still with me—and I will bet that you are—it
is a good idea to look deeper into your motives for writing novels.
The reasons behind your persistence have a big influence not only
on your chances of success, but on the stories that you craft and the
publishing decisions that you make.
Mickey Spillane declares that his reason for writing is "the urgent
need for money." Generally, that rationale is expressed only by
established novelists. New fiction writers rarely cite money as their
primary motive. Indeed, even most established novelists are not in
the game to get rich. When questioned, they will confess that all
they really want financially is the chance to live comfortably, pay the
bills, put the kids through college, and retire in security.
Of course, most novelists hope to get rich sooner or later, but by
and large both published and unpublished novelists know that the
odds of making a real killing are pretty slim.
So, what drives you? To help understand, it is useful to think back
to the hierarchy of human needs posited by psychologist Abraham
Maslow. (You will probably remember this from a college psycholo-
gy course.) Maslow stated that human beings need, in order, food,
shelter, sex, self-esteem, self-actualization. Let's skip the first three;