6 Responses so far

1. 1. Greg van Eekhout on Jun 26th, 2006 at 11:39 am

   “Some will sell their dreams for small desires, and lose their race to rats, get caught in ticking traps.” — Neil Peart, Subdivisions

2. 2. Douglas on Jun 26th, 2006 at 1:16 pm

   Maybe I am justifying here, but I am not sure that unrealized dreams are such a bad thing.

   I prefer a higher percentage of mine be fulfilled, but I don’t really think that my life will have been a failure if I don’t write a novel or stand on the moon.

   The comments you post here did more to inspire me than the whack-job he was commenting on.

3. 3. Mark Terry on Jun 26th, 2006 at 2:05 pm

   It’s never so simple. I worked a “day job” I pretty much hated for 18 years before quitting to write fulltime–novels, magazine articles, etc. I love the new life. My wife has said, “You should have done it 5 years earlier.”

   Well, maybe. I did it when it was practical to do it. Would things have gone differently or nearly as well if I had quit five years earlier and tried to break in? In time, probably, but I would have had some pretty hungry times in there that might have gotten awfully ugly.

   One of the things I try to stress on my own blog (www.journalscape.com/markterry) is that aspiring writers and novelists don’t necessarily understand what the reality of the life is like. I may make what I made in a cytogenetics laboratory–a lot more this year, actually–but I still don’t have paid vacations, paid time off or health insurance, although I’m covered on my wife’s. Any retirement plan comes from my own pocket, no matching from my employer. I also try to encourage people to have a life–if your lack of success at writing is driving you nuts and depressing you and you’re angry because you’re not breaking in, etc., etc., you need to get a grip because life’s not a dress rehearsal. This is it, no guarantees.

4. 4. Steve Buchheit on Jun 26th, 2006 at 3:06 pm

   So much to write about this. One thing I try to keep remembering is a lesson I learned early on, nobody goes to their deathbed wishing they had spent more time at work.

   But other than it’s only a 35 mile commute, I like the people I work with, and I’m only 40, yeah, know what he’s saying. I’m young enough to change it and this job was actually the start. I no longer get home drained of every creative impulse, or feeling like my head is about to pop off. So now I can attain some of those dreams. Now I just need to follow my wife’s advice of “making a break for it” every now and then.

5. 5. Elizabeth on Jun 26th, 2006 at 3:19 pm

   While I feel for the guy whose comment you quoted, I have to say that the original poster he was responding to is full of s.tuff, with his magically appearing money.

   I also think there’s a middle ground between throwing away your dreams to focus on making a living and chasing dreams with no thought of practical considerations. What’s that line about building castles in the air and putting foundations under them?

6. 6. Tobias Buckell on Jun 27th, 2006 at 1:22 am

   I feel for the guy. I also tend to side with the original post, but I know most people won’t like his message.