Top Ten Reasons Why It's Great to Be a Writer

[Haibane Shadsie]

I got this in my e-mail, forwarded by a member of my writer's club. It was fun, so I thought I'd share.

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ten great things about being a writer

(From Jim's weekly newspaper column.)

November 15 is national I Love To Write Day, so I have in my right hand, direct from my home office today's top ten list. Today's category . . .

Ten great things about being a writer

10. No heavy lifting. Since no physical skill or strength is required to be a word jock, your career isn't over by age 30 like most major league athletes.

9. It's cheaper than collecting antique cars or Longaberger baskets. For the price of a ream of paper ($3.95 at Office Depot) you can write an epic novel or two nonfiction books. (Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was written on the back of an old envelope.)

8. It's one of the few occupations you can perform in your underwear without the vice squad breaking down your door.

7. You can get your picture in the paper without being charged with crimes and misdemeanors.

6. A chance to speak your mind long after you're dead. All those authors from American and English Literature class had met their final deadlines long before you read them (or scanned the Cliff Notes).

5. It's a great soapbox. Instead of annoying just your family and friends with your rants and raves, you can annoy thousands of people with your rants and raves.

4. On election day, you can vote more than once - legally. An editorial, a letter to the editor, even an email note, can sway readers' votes, so get out and vote - repeatedly.

3. You can receive notes like this email from last week: "I am a 38 year old mother of four: two teenagers and two under the age of nine. I am writing to let you know how much your writing has lifted my spirits."

2. It's the closest thing to God's "creation ex nihilo" - creating something out of nothing; using words to bring order out of chaos.

1. And now writers have their very own holiday.

Yep, my friend John Riddle has single-handedly created the national I Love To Write Day (http://www.ilovetowrite.com).

Apparently it's not that difficult to create your own holiday since this month also celebrates Saxophone Day (6), National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day (7), National Pizza With The Works Except Anchovies Day (12), Operation Room Nurse Day (14), Use Even If Seal Is Broken Day (24), and Square Dance Day (29). And don't forget Veteran's Day (11), Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday), and my wife's birthday (24).

Unfortunately, we writers have to share the 15th with National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day.

According to the official press release, over 11,000 schools nationwide have already signed up to celebrate the day. Riddle writes, "One million authors, writers, editors, reporters, journalists, teachers, librarians and other volunteers will help celebrate I Love To Write Day. On that day people of all ages will be encouraged to write something: a poem, a love letter, an essay, a letter to the editor, start a novel, finish a novel...the possibilities are endless."

So don't forget to celebrate national I Love To Write Day on November 15. But, please, if you serve refreshments, avoid anything from the National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day!

(c) 2002 James N. Watkins

[Technomancer]

10. No heavy lifting. Since no physical skill or strength is required to be a word jock, your career isn't over by age 30 like most major league athletes.

You should see my mom's old typewriter...

[EireWolf]

5. It's a great soapbox. Instead of annoying just your family and friends with your rants and raves, you can annoy thousands of people with your rants and raves.

[quote="Haibane Shadsie"]2. It's the closest thing to God's "creation ex nihilo" - creating something out of nothing]

That's my favorite.

[true_noir_chloe]

Thanks for sharing that Shadsie.

Number five is my favorite, because I love to rant and rave and do it quite often.

And then I would have to admit, with joking aside, I am really touched by number three. I would love this to be my greatest motivation to write.

[Lochaber Axe]

Now by reading that, I have finish Part 2 tomorrow.

Anyway, we have to really stand together on getting or at least moving Clean out Your Refrigerator Day from our day. More than likely for me it will be more worse than that episode in Cowboy Beebop.

[Haibane Shadsie]

My mom was talking about all the things she needs to do tommorrow, unaware of any obscure holidays.

She said she wanted to clean out the refridgerator. I told her about my e-mail! It's just... ironic... she didn't know it was going to be Clean Out Your Refridgerator Day, yet she wanted to clean the fridge.

[Mithrandir]

I keep mine clean these days. When I was in college, a friend of mine stayed over for a few days. His parents took him out to a sushi bar. A few YEARS later, when I moved out of that apartment...

*shudder*

I got charged $100 bucks for a 'cleaning fee.'

I suspect it mostly went to offset the hasmat bills.

[MillyFan]

I keep mine clean these days. When I was in college, a friend of mine stayed over for a few days. His parents took him out to a sushi bar. A few YEARS later, when I moved out of that apartment...

*shudder*

I got charged $100 bucks for a 'cleaning fee.'

I suspect it mostly went to offset the hazmat bills.

Ahahahahaha. . .hehehehe

"Never leave things in the fridge."

[Heaven's Cloud]

I like it. Very interesting. TO bad it's past the 15th, I'm very late at this sort of stuff.