Somebody's always getting me to come lecture to their writing class, and I don't talk about writing at all, I talk about the business of making a living at this racket.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Writing teaches writing.
If your purpose is to make money, you shouldn't get into writing.
You'd think it would be easier for writers to make a living, but it's not. Fortunately, I love to teach.
I always treated writing as a profession, never as a hobby. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.
Perhaps it would be better not to be a writer, but if you must, then write.
I enjoy talking to groups who are interested in the writing process or the industry. I never teach - because truthfully, I don't know how it all works; it just does. Sort of magic-like. But I love to share my experiences and perspectives.
Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.
Writing is making sense of life. You work your whole life and perhaps you've made sense of one small area.
I always talk to my students about the need to write for the joy of writing. I try to sort of disaggregate the acclaim from the act of writing.
I'm not a writer who teaches. I'm a teacher who writes.