Do I really want to become a writer?

After reading Moore’s “How to Become a Writer”, the question still stands: Do I really want to become a writer? I mean, I’ve always had an interest in writing, though I’m not sure I would ever pursue it as a profession. But, you never know. Things may pan out that way. What I do know is that after reading “How to Become a Writer”, I’m even more unsure about going down the path of a writer. Francie shows us that one must be ready to cut all ties with people and give up having a secure future if they truly want to become a writer. One must also be ready for constant rejection and disbelief. Get ready for solitude and a possible non-existent social life (kind of sounds like Uni...). Basically, if you want to become a writer, you better be ready for the treacherous road ahead.

But Francie isn’t alone in this thought process. According to Ryan Holiday of the thought catalog, the first mistake in people who want to become a writer is that they want to become a writer. When one says that, they are stating that their end goal is to be labeled as “writer”, but writing isn’t a label one should strive to have, because it doesn’t really exist. As the thought catalog states “the problem is identifying as a writer. As though assembling words together is somehow its own activity. It isn’t”. According to Mr. Holiday, if your goal in mind is to become a writer, just stop what you’re doing because you aren’t going to be very successful. Instead, just write for the heck of it. Write because you have something to say. Write for a short-term purpose. “So if you want to be a writer, put “writing” on hold for a while. When you find something that is new and different and you can’t wait for share with the world, you’ll beat your fat hands against the keyboard until you get it out in one form or another” (Holiday). Write because you HAVE something to say, not that you NEED something to say.

So, do I really want to become a writer? Well, I suppose not as a full time job, but I still would find it interesting. If I do, I think I will follow Mr. Holiday’s philosophy and only write when I have something to say, which may mean that I would have to make writing a side job. One thing that really impressed me in “How to Become a Writer” is Francie’s excitement towards writing. Even though all her ideas get shot down, she still gets excited everything a new idea pops into her head and makes it on paper. “The only happiness you have is writing something new, in the middle of the night, armpits damp, heart pounding, something no one has yet seen” (122). No one gets Francie’s violent, plotless writing style, but that doesn’t stop her. She has a passion for writing and no one can veer her away from this path. That is what you must have if you want to become a writer. A passion. A powerful drive to dive deep into a lifestyle with no end goal. Similar to what Mr. Holiday stated, Francie didn’t start out wanting to become a writer. She didn’t even know that she could pursue writing. But she wrote whenever a new and exciting idea popped into her head, and when her ideas were questioned and shot down by her peers, she stuck to her guns. (Even when she was up against her mother). Assumably these peers aren’t the only people she has had to face, it is impressive that she has yet to back down because of her focused drive into the fogginess of writing.

Like I said, this kind of attitude is quite impressive and one that I (unfortunately) do not share. Now, when it comes to other fields, I probably will share that same passion, just not with writing (sorry Mr. Mitchell). So, did this story make me want to become a writer? No, but it did make me respect the profession. All the work and sacrifices Francie has and will continue to make in her life are quite noteworthy and inspiring.

(By the way, here’s the article if ya’ll wanna check it out: http://thoughtcatalog.com/ryan-holiday/2013/07/so-you-want-to-be-a-writer-thats-mistake-1/).