First and foremost, authors are writing for themselves.
As first time writers, most have regular jobs to take care of, and often a family as well. The game of writing becomes one of cat and mouse, keeping up appearances in the day job to pay the bills and sneaking the time to write whenever possible! It's much akin to keeping a foot on two paths, and being stretched in two different directions. One, the path that is our public life, and the other the secret path of writing!
As we put pen to paper or tread the keyboard, we become part of the secret society of writers. We find inspiration and insights everywhere!
In my travels I have worn many hats, I've worked in oncology and seen first hand the struggle for life itself. A cruel foe to fight. One fellow I met was a journalist. He is well known in journalistic circles, and to readers and viewers as well; he passed away not that long ago. He was driven, absolutely and completely driven, to tell the world about his story. Not the one of his battle with cancer, but the devastating effects of Chernobyl. It was his passion. He felt an obligation to the people of the entire planet to report and keep in their minds the horrible outcomes of nuclear disaster.
The irony of being in an oncology dept was not lost on him, we had two linear accelerators and often had nuclear material in the department, but in this case it was to treat, not destroy. The fact of the matter was, even we were partaking in the business of nuclear production. He was not against it, but genuinely questioned the safety of any nuclear plant, be it for medical reasons, energy, or more sinister ones such as producing weapons. In the end, he risked his own life to return to Chernobyl. Some may say he was crazy, others who understand the passion of a cause will know why he had to.
He was an interesting and passionate man, I enjoyed the brief time I was able to spend in his company. I learned a great deal from him.
The thing that struck me the most, is how people are motivated by a cause. Often the cause is one that is only for personal gain. I want a pay rise, better house, new car or to flog a novel. But there are the rare few who will take up a cause that is for the betterment of society, its awareness, and to bring a story to the attention of the general public that may have been swept under the carpet otherwise.
Being a writer is not unlike this. We, as authors, are driven by a cause.
For some it may be as simplistic as 'I want to make money out of this'. For others (like me) the story wont leave them alone until it is down on paper. It is a passion, a need, an undying love that must be consummated by the act of penning it!
Whatever our regular job or public working life may entail, the dream of becoming an author is one that we truly live for. For the most part, I am not in it for the money; I have a day job. But having said that...it would be nice too!
Most people who are driven to write do so because the enjoy it, and have the need to write.We squirrel ourselves away in our writing cave and let loose the story inside us. Make no mistake; it is utterly addictive!
People who do not have that need can never truly understand what that feeling is like.
So enjoy being a member of the secret society of writers. You are one of the rare few who have something to contribute. Don't lose heart at the sheer numbers of authors out there and books available. Take heart in knowing that there are others too who share your cause and passion! Get to know your fellow author. The exchange of ideas and the understanding of the instinctive drive we share is just as inspiring as the act of writing itself.
So, whether you are writing as a hobby that you enjoy and it offers release and relaxation, or you are an Indie author who has released your inner novel to the world, or even a multi-published well known author, I think the same is true for all of us....
Write your story. Be true to your cause. It is unique.
Do remember though, a cause is great - but an obsession to the exclusion of all else can be dangerous!
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