To Write or Not to Write

I just came across something online which featured a well known scholar saying that publishing via the web has multiplied his readership way beyond what it originally would have been. He said not many will pay the full price for a book when there are cheaper means available. Through building a website, he was gaining readers from what appeared to be his own publishing house.

When I was younger, being a writer meant something. It was only done by an elite few and much status came with it. Today, it seems ordinary, even for those who've published "real" books. Someone recently asked me if I'd ever considered writing as a career. It happened to be someone I greatly respect who has his doctorate and is becoming fairly well known in his field of expertise (not my husband, although that description applies to him as well).

I've never given "real" writing much thought, but after some of the reading I've done, I've definitely thought I could do it as well if not better than others. This is not to brag, only to make the point that standards for authorship are decreasing. I guess real bonafide publishers are getting desperate with all the readers they're losing to cyberspace.

I suppose the main reason I haven't even given it a first attempt is that I don't have a topic that I feel I could write about well. There doesn't seem to be anything original I could contribute to the wealth of literature available. Ecclesiastes makes the point that everything under the sun has been done already.

I wonder if that's the case for something I was musing with my husband about the other day. I was speculating about the length of time it takes to text compared to speaking in person. He said I should do a study and get my doctorate in communications. Maybe I should. After all, I was able to edit HIS dissertation without knowing anything about what he was writing about, and he received feedback that it was one of the best written dissertations in the field. Mind you, this was economics, where good writing isn't the main focus. I also read through his two hard cover publications in which he was chief editor. I made it more readable for all of the 50 or so people who ended up reading it.

Well, I may be bordering on bragging now and I can make no excuse. That's one of the reasons I shouldn't write. I also have a tendency to be sarcastic and sassy. A high school teacher liked one of the assignments I did that had sarcastic humor in it. I guess it's a gift. But not one I should be proud of. So for the time being, I'll keep my typewriter tucked away on the shelf.