A few years ago a playwright wrote in a local newspaper column that he was about to lose that source of income, because the column was being cancelled. He was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to continue writing full-time. At the time I thought, so what? Only a small portion of writers can earn enough money through writing to pay the bills, so they do what they have to do. But that doesn’t make it any easier. My experience, which I’m sure many writers can relate to, is the only time I’m “in the flow,” is when I’m writing.

This weekend professional golfers are competing in the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Course. Watching these athletes, you can see their intense focus and admire their excellent eye-hand coordination. They are ambitious and determined, and could excel in many other careers, but at some point they had to decide whether it was worth the risk to give up other options and focus on a career in golf.

Writers go through a similar process. Many years ago I came to the conclusion that I’d earn more money working “normal jobs,” than writing. Making a living as a writer can be a struggle, putting together a patchwork of incomes from royalties, writer-in-residence stints, government grants that you continually have to reapply for, teaching seminars, freelance writing jobs and ghost writing…. From the data I’ve seen, I earn more money as a Forklift Operator, than many writers earn.

Perhaps the most difficult part of being a writer, who doesn’t write for a living, is you may find other types of work a struggle. If writing is your gift, it might feel like you spend your life trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. If so, you’re not alone.

The next time you pass a golf course and see all those part-time golfers swinging clubs, consider that, if only for a short time, they are in the flow. Then take out your laptop and spend some time writing, let your passions flow on the screen. Maybe you can only write part-time, but in that time you can create stories that no one else can.

Copyright © 2025 by J. Paul Cooper.