Passion

The writer's path is not an easy one. The challenges are great, the rewards are more intrinsic than financial (don't start with Harry Potter - JK does not count), and the heartbreak almost a certainty. What keeps us all going? How do we fuel our writer selves? I always believed that having a community of other writers was the key. Other writers can provide the checks and balances we need to stay on track with our writing goals. But there is more. In order to live the life of a writer you need passion. Passion for the process - for dreaming up ideas, writing, rewriting, dealing with rejection, and rejoicing in acceptance. It doesn't mean we love every minute task, it means we feel an emotional connection with everything we do as writers.

Last night I went to a teen musical that my daughter and niece performed in. I watched this group of 25 kids put on a show that was just delightful. They were full of spirit and song and pure joy. Some of these kids hope to have careers in the performing arts, others were involved simply for the love of participating. At the end of the show, I was overcome by a familiar sense of wonder - the same feeling I experience when I have had a successful school visit or a meaningful critique session. It's all about the passion. Whether writing, performing, playing a musical instrument - passion is the lifeblood that supports the pursuit. Passion is the reason we do what we do.