The First Question Writers Get Asked❓
Hi friends,
After graduating from my MFA program in creative writing, I posted about it on social media. A few days later, I met one of my uncles, and he asked me what my degree was in. I told him creative writing, somewhat dismissively, as if it wasn’t a big deal. In my mind, the real accomplishment would be to actually write good stories, not just to earn a degree, which can be done with or without the piece of paper.
My uncle looked at me with pity and asked, “How much money will that make you?”
“Almost none,” I replied, smiling, hoping the conversation would end there.
But Arabs are notorious for driving you to an existential crisis for making decisions that don’t have a direct and lucrative financial return.
“I need to talk to your father,” my uncle said.
I laughed, knowing my father had already given up on convincing me to run the family’s business in my senior year of high school. But that’s a story for another time.
I think what my uncle was uncomfortable with, and what I was unclear about, was why someone would dedicate time to anything that doesn’t have a direct benefit. In other words, why write?
Sometimes, I can come up with a clear answer, one that points towards social change, representation, or personal fulfillment. But when I sit down to write, that’s not what I think about. When I sit down to write, I just want to get the story right. I want to have fun. I want to write something that I’m proud of, something that I can show my wife and hear her say, “This is actually good.” Money would be nice, a little attention I would not mind, and a prestigious award is very welcomed. Otherwise, I would be satisfied to write stories that other people would feel compelled to ask me questions about, so I can clear my voice and say, “I don’t know, they just write themselves.” Then, I'd go back home to my kids and wrestle them to sleep.
🎧 What am I listening to?
Last week I listened to Tim Ferriss’ podcast conversation with Joyce Carol Oates; they talked about the writing process, publishing, and what it means to live like a writer. I can listen to writers talk about their writing process and life for days!
🔖 Quote to ponder
Talent is insignificant. I know a lot of talented ruins.
— James Baldwin
📸 Through My Lens
