Writing: The Grand Obsession

It wouldn't matter what I did to pay the bills, I would still have to say, "I'm a writer" if asked at a cocktail party.

I may have to wait tables, clean houses, wash cars, be a salesperson, answer phones—whatever it takes to feed myself—but those activities don't describe the focus of my attention, the depth of my training and intellect, my social circle, and most definitely not the way I see myself.

There are some for whom writing is, and will always remain, a hobby; something they do to entertain themselves in between the things and people they've made their first priority.

Then there are others for whom everything which interferes with writing is not just an annoyance, but a source of frustration so deep it's all they can do to keep from screaming.

I don't want to answer the phone because it breaks my concentration. I turn down invitations. I wear monotones or jeans so I don't have to waste time matching clothes. I smile absently in company because I'm world-building in my head instead of listening. I get up early to write. I stay up late to read. I strategize, network, clock hours, gauge my progress and efficiency, update and develop my skills through training and practice, practice, practice with the obsessive self-awareness of a ballet dancer doing barre exercises in front of a salon mirror.

I'm obsessed.

I'm a writer.

It's who I am.

Regardless.

LIA KEYES is represented by Laura Rennert, of Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

A British expat, she's currently finishing a fantasy adventure for young adults. You can find links to her online haunts on her website.

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