There are a lot of really expensive hobbies out there in the world; photography, mountain biking, sailing; can traveling be a hobby? My point is, just about anything we do for fun is expensive, or at least costs something; nothing is free unless you count walking naked around your house, but even then you’re paying for the roof over your head and the electricity to keep your naked ass warm, but I digress. With the plethora of words written out there in the world; especially on its wide web, that you can read for just the cost of your internet provider you’d think that the hobby of reading would be a rather cheap one. So when I discovered books and the ease at which I could read and enjoy them I thought finally, an affordable hobby. To date, this year alone mind you, I’ve already spent over a thousand dollars of my own money (this does not include the gift cards I’ve received) on books and e-books. $1,012.87 of my own money has gone towards reading; this does not include the cost of my Nook either (happy Easter to me from the Easter Bunny A.K.A. Mom and Dad). Despite the cost of this accidental hobby I have to say that I’m really happier for it, I can’t imagine a better use of a grand of my dough.
The stories I’ve read have lead me to research their authors which lead to taking a class about how to become an author, which all lit a fire inside me to write my own stories. The idea that affecting anyone with my words as Gerri Hill, Meghan O’Brien and Karin Kallmaker have affected me is almost unfathomable, but I want to try.
I’ve made Facebook friends with some of my favorite authors, which in the grand scheme of the real world really means nothing, but just the idea that the women behind some of my favorite stories so far are actually so, ‘approachable’? I’m not sure if approachable is really the word I’m looking for, but for example, back on my birthday, popular lesbian author Karin Kallmaker wished me a happy birthday on my wall; she still hasn’t responded to my e-mail requesting advice for aspiring authors, but never the less she wrote on my wall! It would break my heart, I think, to find out that she actually has an employee who does her Facebook stuff for her, so please don’t tell me if you know that to be true, thanks. But the excitement that I experienced from that one little post, from someone whose writing I admire; priceless.
One of the smartest commercials I think ever written has to be the MasterCard commercials. Literally, you can apply just about anything to that one quote: Nook Color - $400 on debit MasterCard. Collection of E-books: $1,012.87 on debit MasterCard. Inspiration for writing the next New York Times Best Seller: Priceless. Hey, if I’m going to aim at something might as well aim high, right? Maybe shooting for the moon is a bit high though, I wouldn’t mind grazing the tops of the GCLS or the Lamda Litterary awards. I hope to one day have put my money where my keyboard is, but until then I think even just posting these blogs is fulfilling a bit of a writers’ dream of mine. I know no one reads these, but it’s still fun just to post. It’s exciting in a geek way to hit the post button and realize that whatever I just wrote could possibly be read by someone, and no matter what I can’t take it back.
I have no ego about my writing; I know for a fact that maybe only two people have read my blog entries, one of whom being my wife, but what I do have is fulfillment. I don’t know if other authors write to feel fulfilled or write to put food on the table, but I think that it really shows in the techniques and stories portrayed by those authors that aren’t in it for the money. Ok, sure there really isn’t that much money in it as I’m sure they’d all tell me, but still, there’s enough to tempt the inept.
Nothing worth having is free; I’m sure some notable person said that, but my dad’s always said it to me. My parents, however have given me so much and never expected anything in return – repayment or otherwise. It’s my dream one day to be able to use what they’ve given me to be able to give back to them. So if the next book I read on my Nook ends up inspiring me to finish my novel, and then I read some e-mail on it from Karin telling me how to submit my story for publication, etc… it’ll be priceless to see the look on my parents face when I tell them I’m a published author. The one thing I do have an ego about is the knowledge of how much my parents love me and really cheer for me to be doing what makes me happy. And then maybe I’ll send them to Bonaire if I happen to make any money at it, the ability to do that for them would for me be: priceless.
