Ruadhán J. McElroy
Much like Lois in the pageant episode of MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, I have a problem with this question.
I don't exactly "get to" make my own hours, I *have to*. Because this trade has been so devalued over the last fifty years, people expect me to just give my work away, and balk at the price of either a paperback or eBook edition. My cats, social obligations, and all the other work I do seem to all be conspiring against my best efforts to finish a new book every other year. My primary income is Social Security Disability and Survivor's benefits, which pays out a lot less than most people seem to believe, but without it, I'd be on the streets -- but even with, I'm grateful for the few copies of either novel that I sell each year, or I'd be so much worse off.
Being a writer, or any kind of artist, is like an overcooked steak -- it's a small, tough, and the chips are always stacked against you.
The only consolation is knowing that I'm letting these stories out, because the spirits within these characters want me to tell their stories. If I make a little money, and entertain a few readers in the process, that's even better, because it shows that someone is appreciating all the hard work I've put into this.
I don't exactly "get to" make my own hours, I *have to*. Because this trade has been so devalued over the last fifty years, people expect me to just give my work away, and balk at the price of either a paperback or eBook edition. My cats, social obligations, and all the other work I do seem to all be conspiring against my best efforts to finish a new book every other year. My primary income is Social Security Disability and Survivor's benefits, which pays out a lot less than most people seem to believe, but without it, I'd be on the streets -- but even with, I'm grateful for the few copies of either novel that I sell each year, or I'd be so much worse off.
Being a writer, or any kind of artist, is like an overcooked steak -- it's a small, tough, and the chips are always stacked against you.
The only consolation is knowing that I'm letting these stories out, because the spirits within these characters want me to tell their stories. If I make a little money, and entertain a few readers in the process, that's even better, because it shows that someone is appreciating all the hard work I've put into this.
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