Why Do We Write?: Writing as Vocation

In his latest blog entry, author John Rickards opposes the notion of writing as calling. He writes:

To quote 'Fight Club', "You're not your job". And that, when it comes down to it, is what writing professionally is. It's a job. It's fun, it's interesting and it's varied, but it's basically a cool way of earning a living. That's all.

"Looking at it that way, sure, but what about the whole 'writing as a calling?' aspect?" Sarah [Weinman] said in the original backblogs. "Art vs. livelihood. I mean, I'd love to make a living writing, but even if I couldn't, I'd still do it because at least when it comes to fiction, my brain would probably explode if I didn't find a way to write about it."

To which I say, for most writers, bullshit. We're no more 'called' to it than that mechanic. We enjoy it, we get a great deal of fun from it, but that's all.

When you start treating it professionally, when you start taking publication seriously, you're no longer doing it for yourself...

I take it John rejects the idea that "the muse" has much of a role in writing for publication. I would agree that inspiration alone doesn't propel one very far. To use a sailing analogy, inspiration is perhaps the first gust of wind, the first hint of direction. It's up to the sailor then to make adjustments, to either stay on course or change.

I commented on John's entry:

I believe any worthwhile writing--not fan fiction, not pure catharsis--is supported by very visible, measurable qualities: What's the writer's main point? Is she making it efficiently? Is she connecting with my emotions? To accomplish all of these goals takes the kind of grunt work you mentioned.

To me, a calling is that which a person has a talent or inclination to do. Most mechanics probably fixed their first cars because doing so first attracted them and later kept them engaged. Similarly, language fascinated me at an early age. I write now because it's what I do best. Indeed, some days it feels like the only thing I do well. It's also what I have the most patience to do *and* what will earn me the most money.

I submit to editors to lend my work credibility--to be able to say I'm not the only person who thinks you should read my writing. My feeling is I would write for free, but I'd rather write for money.

I think of writing as more than my job. I've had jobs stuffing envelopes, handing out fliers, sorting triplicate forms. Writing is my vocation. The word vocation is rooted in the Latin "to call," so there is a concession to inspiration; however, vocation can also mean "A regular occupation, especially one for which a person is particularly suited or qualified" (American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed.), or "a particular occupation or profession, especially one regarded as needing dedication and skill" (AllWords.com). Both these definitions are ordinary enough to satisfy the grunt in me.