Why am I evil for wanting to make money from my writing? Tell the naysayers to bugger off!

This is a guest post by Harlow Drake

If another person says, “You should write because you love it, not because you want to make money,” I’m going to scream. What’s so wrong with looking for a way to quit my monotonous, unfulfilling, the-reason-I-went-to-college-but-it-sucks day job? Sure I make a good living, but at a cost — my creative juices.

I’ve come to abhor working 9 to 5. In fact, I may have a disease. It’s called, “I’m-going-to-kill-myself-if-I-have-to-keep-doing-this-sh**.”

I feel physically ill when I rise at 7:10 a.m. to begin my day. The husband, kids, and even the dogs know to let me rise on my own on the weekends or suffer dire consequences, much like poking a sleeping bear.

I truly believe we’re all here for a bigger purpose. I used to think it was to train my husband. Done. Have and raise kids. (The kids are teenagers now—teenagers are evil, but that’s a totally separate blog post.) Are you ever really done training kids? For the sake of argument — done. Train the dogs. They were already trained when we got them from the Rescue. Done.

For years, I searched for my calling. First, I thought it was to become a court reporter. Been there, done that (almost). I completed the training, but never actually got a court reporting job. So I went back to college, got a degree in business administration, and went to work.

I can honestly say there’s never been one job I’ve “loved,” not like when I write. Some days I can’t get the words down fast enough. There’s nothing like coming up with a scene that makes you stop writing and say, “Ooh, that’s good.”

I yearn for a more flexible life that includes: not waking before 11 a.m.; working in pajamas; eating at my leisure; napping with the dogs (don’t tell the husband I let them sleep in the bed when he’s not home); spending more time with the husband and kids (again, teenagers are evil); and earning an income to sustain (not exceed) my current lifestyle.

I’m supposed to be a writer. It’s written in the stars. I’m a Leo and so are Ray Bradbury, Emily Bronte, James Baldwin, and J.K. Rowling. Also, I think I have adult ADD, which will serve me well in this career field. There’s not a darn thing wrong with wanting to sell your work. Writers are artists. We want to be appreciated for our work. Paying for it is proof of that.

So the next time someone gives you that spiel, tell them to piss off or not. It’s up to you.

I’m going to finish my book, publish it, and see if there’s an appreciation for it.

Buy the ticket, take the ride.

About this post’s author:

Author Harlow Drake was born in Kansas City, MO, but grew up in Denver, CO. She relocated to North Carolina five years ago with her husband, two dogs, and 16-year old twins. Her debut novel, Life in Death (to be published in early 2012), is a murder mystery that pulls from real-life situations in her own family history. She felt compelled to share her story with the world while offering a thrilling, entertaining, and amusing escape for readers. She loves to connect with her readers on Twitter, her blog, and on Facebook.