Now that is a truly bombastic post title.

As part of “learning the craft” of writing I’ve tried to listen to and read as much as I can by authors, editors, publishers, professors.  And while a lot of it tends to be humble-bragging or self-aggrandizing speeches, I have come across some very valuable insights, advice and new perspectives.

One of the perspectives that resonated with me was writer as warrior; that the vocation of writing is a war of attrition.  For every writer who is made wealthy and famous by their writing, there are thousands that are only able to eke out a living.  For every writer that is able to live off their writing without a second job, there are thousands that must work a second job to make up the difference.  For every writer that is able to make enough money from writing to help pay the bills, there are thousands whose royalties are only enough to upsize their fries at McDonalds from medium to large.  For every writer that receives a royalty check for their writing, there are thousands whose bank accounts have never seen a penny made from a sale.  For every writer who has published a book (traditionally or not), there are thousands who continue to polish their debut manuscript.  For every writer with a finished manuscript, there are thousands with half-finished works, notebooks upon notebooks, shelved until they “get enough time” to come back to.  For every writer whose debut novel is a work-in-progress, there are thousands who walk through life with that “great idea for a novel” in their mind, just waiting for the time to start on it.

Look around.  See the corpses surrounding you on the battlefield?  Those are the writers who have given up; either before they’ve started or have fallen, worn down by the war.  Being a writer means becoming the warrior that not only perseveres, but hones their craft, educates themselves and continues to grow as a writer, each day inching towards their potential.  Winning the war means surviving long enough to be the last one standing.

I know that for me personally, the war has only begun.  My first novel is simply the first battle in a much larger war.  In addition to writing, there’s photography, both for covers and social media, there’s formatting, editing, revisions, plotting, outlining,  there’s advertising, the many different avenues of marketing, visiting schools, and while I’m in the field of battle with the current book, in my mind I’m busy formulating the next one and it’s battle-plans, preparing mentally for that phase of the war.  It never stops.  It’s a battle fought with migraine pills and long walks, all the while dragging 100 lb blocks of dysthymia behind each foot.