“Man is born as a freak of nature, being within nature and yet transcending it….The human being would indeed go mad if he did not find a frame of reference which permitted him to feel at home in the world in some form and to escape the experience of utter helplessness, disorientation, and uprootedness.

There are many ways in which man can find a solution to the task of staying alive and of remaining sane. Some are better than others and some are worse. By “better” is meant a way conducive to greater strength, clarity, joy, independence; and by “worse” the very opposite. But more important than finding the better solution is finding some solution that is viable.” ~ humanistic philosopher and psychologist Erich Fromm, The Revolution of Hope: Toward a Humanized Technology (public library)

As writers we seek satisfaction in our work. We love doing it. We love having done it. However, there are parts of the process that are not very palatable, like marketing for some . . . and editing for others.

To listen to some writers, one would think they are in agony, from beginning to end. They want an easier way to be good, be better, be profitable. To some, the process of writing is closer to being a bad experience, a bad feeling, or a bad choice than life without writing, to further refine what philosopher Erich Fromm stated above.

All too often on social media, we see up-and-coming or wannabe writers fussing about the work. The unfairness, the difficulty, and the dejection. They leave the impression that they are unhappy. They do not realize that the negativity gives the reading public the impression that they don’t like what they do. Who wants to support that?

Love the work, love the process, love the ups and downs of writing . . . or maybe consider another way to live happier. Another way to avoid the insanity.