Journal #13: Writing as a Lifestyle

What do you think about the writer's lifestyle? How much of it appeals to you? Which aspect least appeal to you. Can you envision yourself doing the job? Describe how writing might either fit into your lifestyle or become your lifestyle in the future.

As with any career, writing as a lifestyle would have its ups and downs. Philip Roth mentioned that writing is a profession in which no one can help you . I totally agree with that statement. I know that the only time I really want help from someone when I am writing, its when I want someone to look over it and edit it. I believe that to write you have to reach within yourself in and find something that will appeal to you and that you would be able to write. I think that writing can be a difficult but rewarding task. Some times as a writer you get writer's block and then you are totally unsure of what to write and when you try to write you just delete it. I have a habit of keeping everything I write though. I find that sometimes I will go back and use things that I may have written down a while back and just never used. But, as far as writing as a lifestyle, I don't think that it would be for me. But I really do enjoy writing because it gives me the opportunity to express myself through journals, poetry and sometimes even short stories.
There are many people that do write as a lifestyle but I would feel as if there was more besides writing that I could be doing. A lot of writers struggle before any of their work is recognized and before they begin making any money for their work. I am not sure how some of those people who spend years writing and don't make any money, can support themselves. It is so expensive to live now a days, so i would want a job that I knew for sure I could make money doing. I think that instead of writing as a lifestyle, I would write as a hobby. I would write whenever I had the time and when I thought that I had a good idea. I love writing and I will continue to do it in the future but it wont be my lifestyle.