A Private Endeavor With A Public Persona

As the public we always see the public side of writing.  Here's a finished book.  This was what got me started on the subject.  Here are my ideas.  Here is how I expressed them.  We have public readings and interviews and book signings.  Being a writer sure is a sweet gig.  You know, except for all that writing you have to do.

The public aspect of being a writer is just one face of it.  It's a persona.  The actual writing, though, is intensely private.  You may talk with people about what you're writing.  You may even have some people help you with your writing along the way.  But ultimately, you're the one putting the words down.  If you're in a crowded room and you're writing, you are alone.

These things are neither good.  They're just part of the deal.  However, it is going to be helpful to have both of these qualities (being able to be both private and public).  If you are so antsy or flighty or just want to be around other people so much that you can't sit down long enough to string a couple sentences together, then you'll never be able to write anything more than a couple of sentences.  If you are never around other people and never talk about yourself or your work, how can you expect anybody to ever find your work or read it?

Writing is a private endeavor with a public persona.  If you want to be a writer, I hope you are able to handle that.