AOWFW 1 and 2: Passion, Humility, Courage

I bought and read James Scott Bell’s The Art of War for Writers a while back and I just plowed through it. I tried to stop at each bite-size nugget of wisdom and really think about it, but I was having too much fun. It’s a great book.

Now I’m going back through it and taking the time to put my responses to each section into words.

Thoughts on the first two nuggets of wisdom

If there are costs to being a writer, I’ll think about them later. Right now I’m thinking about some things I think I can gain as I continue down this path.

(PASSION)

First, the book is about being/becoming a career writer – not on writing a single book and calling it good. Later on, I remember he describes stages of writing, something like: 1) write a book 2) write many books 3) publish a book 4) publish many books 5) maybe get a lucky break and become famous or something. My first real consideration here is do I want to become, and stay, a writer?

I think so. Even though right now all I can think of is the one book I’m dying to write, I know it’s really one of many past and future ideas that are worth putting into story and developing. I know I’ll never be bored. The question is, do I have the passion to stick with this particular pasttime? Or any venture, for that matter. The jury’s still out.

(HUMILITY)

I’m not totally sure at this point that writing is the one thing that I want out of my life. I think I could be swayed by some other hobby or course of study or field of service, if I thought that I was really good at it and could make a difference. So, there’s some pride to consider – maybe I just want to build something, make my mark, and call it good. I better remember that anything I build will be, in the grand scheme of things, temporary. And, remembering that, do I want to write temporary stories, many of which will never be appreciated by another person even now, and all of which will fade eventually? Well, it is fun in the moment too.

(COURAGE)

Writing is worth some disappointment and discouragement – but how much? Sometimes I come to a point in a project where what I’m creating seems valueless and devoid of potential and I think, “This isn’t fun any more. Why stress about it?” Yet, facing discouragement is part of the value of the experience. If one day I’m able to look back on the birth of creative, tight novels and short stories - published or not, successful or not - I know I’ll have climbed over obstacles and grown in endurance.

* * *

Will dedicating myself to writing be worth it, if none of my works finds an audience but my character grows in passion, courage and humility? Sure, but what negatives might be lurking out there, serious enough to outweigh these gains? (How’s that for anxious and ominous? Sheesh! Time to start exercising the courage muscle…)

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