Writing. For fun or for a living?

Many ‘small’ authors dream of a life of writing for a living. I’ve been there, done that, looked at the t-shirt and…

…decided it’s not for me.

I’ve been writing for fun since I started writing. For the sheer joy of being able to create things. Stories, places, people, situations.

Looking at the books I’ve been able to ‘create’ so far, I think I’m doing well in that respect. The Mirror Earth set contains one of the most elaborate places I’ve created so far, and I’m very proud of that.

So what’s the difference between writing for fun and for a living?

Writing for a living

That’s when you get to write as much as you can. For the people who want to read what you write. But… unless you’re one of the very big authors, e.g. George Martin, Stephen King or Ursula Le Guinn, there’s a good chance you get told what to write.

I’ve also seen lots of help websites for authors who want to write for a living. The mere awareness that there is a need for such websites tells me it’s not easy doing that. For many people this probably is a deception. For me it’s a part of reality: I’ll never write for a living. It’s something only possible for the chosen few.

Writing for fun

That’s where the real fun is, I think. (Mostly because I’ve never experienced the other side, which I mentioned above.)

This way of writing also gives me (I can’t talk for others) most freedom to write what I want. Established authors often are expected to write in ‘their genre’ (except when you’re Neil Gaiman of course).

I feel free to write whatever I feel like writing. I started with fantasy. Stepped into science fiction. Hopped into historic fiction. And all that with a naturist touch.

There is always something new to explore in writing. Perhaps I will someday venture into Stone Age naturist fiction, who knows! (Does something like that exist?)

As long as it’s fun, I’ll write it.