I think a lot. Seems a natural thing to do. I have a head, brain material crammed in there, neurons pulsing, etc. So what else would I do but think? Don't say 'relax'. That's not me. My motto is 'There Will Be Plenty of Time to Relax When We're Dead'. So, anyway, I write fiction - you knew that. I write fiction which is not mainstream. I think what I write is excellent, but many might not get-it. I tell a tale, writing a story which begins at a point, develops credibly, and ends where it needs to. Some might ding-me for not jumping in and whipping up action, hooking the reader. This I may do in the future, but not now. Anyway (yes, there is a point in here), if I write something which takes a lot of time and not too many people ever read it, am I wasting my time? This is an important question, and most creators ask it, be they authors, musicians, painter, what ever. I don't even mean "how do you measure success?". I just mean waste my time. I mean, I pound away for hours, and maybe it's not so good and maybe I could better spend time doing something else.
Ask a thorny question, and I'll give you a thornless answer! Some people go fishing. They buy a boat and a bunch of 'stuff', haul-ass to Whoknowswhere, sit in rain being eaten by bugs, and what? They catch a fish. Around here, it might be a trout. I can drive 10 minutes to Safeway and buy a [reasonably] fresh trout, whole or filleted. So, is the fisherman wasting his time? I love my SF Giants baseball team - have since 1960. If I were to sit for 3 hours watching the full game on TV, and I am thrilled or distraught, what do I tangibly have the next morning when I wake? Am I a better, richer, more complex person?
Nope. Watching a sporting event is like drinking water - after it's consumed it is over and there is no real benefit. Going fishing is a waste of time, for most people. But, hopefully, it is not a waste for the angler. What does he take from the investment of his efforts? Smelly fingers and a fish just like the one I bought? We all grant him that he 'enjoyed' himself, relaxed, and was not a lunatic.
The best way I say it is by taking the example of knitting. Millions of women knit. At least here in the US, no one needs knitted products. Most knitting is not that skilled. Most women gift their knitting because A) they must get rid of it, and B) no one will purchase it. But, they are creative and happy and so am I writing fiction - my way.
Thank you - I feel much better.
Go Giants!
Go Craig! [to work, that is]
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