Andy Holloman – Dad, Writer, Goofball

                Who do you want to be?

I‘ll level with. If you say you want to be a writer, a lot of people are going to think you’re nuts. A lot of other people are going to think you’re just playing around in a “phase” or something.

On the plus side, other people are going to think you’ll dethrone Stephen King and Tom Clancy from the New York Times bestseller list. These people are called your family. Sometimes they’re your friends. In any case, they mean well and they generally hope for the best for you.

But other than that core group of supporters, expect some dismissive looks when you tell people you want to be a writing professional. You see, writing is something non-writers don’t understand. Non-writers at first think we’re on some kind of vanity trip.

Then they realize we’re for real. That we really do need that two hours of quiet in the evening so that we can work. That they really do have to keep an eye on the kids and the cats.

And then they will get irritated. Sometimes passive-aggressive. And you must tell them what they say in Russia. (and if you don’t know what they say in Russia, drop me a line and I’ll tell you).

My family, whom I love, and my friends, most of whom I don’t see anymore, were always unsure of me and my writing. It wasn’t until I made a living at it that they realized “Hey, you can make a living at this stuff!”

Getting there, though, was full of “Why don’t you try to get yourself a little job,” or “You’re writing again?” as if it was supposed to be a one-time thing.

I mention all this because your biggest obstacle in being a writer (other than yourself) will be dealing with external forces who will treat you as some kind of amalgam of teenager, four-year-old, and that flaky sitcom sister that you can’t say hello to without her jumping off a cliff. They will tell you your writing is fantastic, even when it sucks, and at the same time, they’ll think it’s just a romantic-sounding hobby of yours.

The antidote? Stick to your guns. You know who you are and you know who you want to be. If your writing really is just a romantic hobby on the side, great. But if you want to make a living at it, then start taking it seriously right now, because writing is work. It’s a job, as real as janitor or doctor or broadcaster. It’s a job that takes work, commitment, work, guts, work, discipline, and work. And work, don’t forget work.

Ask yourself who you want to be. And if you say writer ‒‒ and mean it ‒‒ buckle up.