Line In The Sand : Why Do We Write ?

" We write because we have something to say, Certainly. Because we have 'stories to tell'. In my case I have hundreds ¹ of stories to tell, most of which could only be accepted in the guise of fiction. That is to say, once heard, they are often hard for the typical reader to accept."

" We write that our stories, thus told, will be accepted. In a way, you might say we write for recognition. On another level we are aware that if we don't tell them, many of these stories will be lost. It is fair to exclaim that we write, to a very great extent, because we are inspired, some would say compelled so to do. We write because we must."

" We also write for a living. At least we try. Certainly here in Gather©, many of us congregate in the hope that we might be 'discovered'. It is certainly no secret that there are many in here from that old mainstay of our culture the 'print publishers'. Those two words used to be synonymous. There was, heretofore, no publishing without the presses and the machine, no pun intended, to go with it."

" We remain available, for a fee, an advance, or retainer. Now, to be published generally means that someone, for some reason, has 'writen' you a 'check' ² "

This, then, is some of the ground I wish to cover; Not necessarily in order of importance. A tall order, perhaps ...

¹ "I've been struggling with this issue for more than a few weeks and an article is beginning to take it's form.

² " Even 'checks' no longer exist in this virtual world, having been effectively replaced by 'direct deposits' and the electronic 'transfer of funds'. Such payment must, in fact, be authorized or initiated just the same. We require patronage. One of the inherent questions about the internet economy is one of 'monetization'. How do we pay our bills?

[ To Be Continued ]