For the Love of Writing

I grew up in small town Saskatchewan, surrounded by a sea of grain fields and nurtured by an agricultural mindset. To make a living as a farmer, one has to have tenacity in the face of uncontrollable obstacles. Grain prices fluctuate, markets can collapse, and nobody but Jesus can control the weather! “Next year…” is probably the most common phrase uttered among those that make their living off the land. It’s this ability to look to the future despite present circumstances that keeps farmers in the business. I suppose the same could be said for writers.

Like farming, writing is hard work. Crops don’t grow overnight just like manuscripts don’t write themselves. Sometimes it feels like a ‘love-hate’ relationship and one asks, “Why am I putting myself through this?” Good question. Any number of obstacles can thwart my progress. Rejection, interruptions, low self-esteem, and writers’ block are just a few. But somewhere inside is that innate optimism – that sense of “what if’ that makes me pick up where I left off and continue.

I’m not sure writers can actually cultivate a love for writing. It’s either something that is inbred or it’s not. Yes, writers can cultivate their craft. They can cultivate their methodology, marketing skills, time management and any number of other things that will affect their productivity and success. But love? The love of writing happens despite everything else. It just is. The sun will shine, the rains will come, and writers will keep on writing – just for the love of it.

*This article first appeared on Inscribe’s Professional blog, February 27, 2017.