A few days ago, I was chatting with someone about my NanoWriMo novel and somewhere along the way, the conversation turned towards Dan Brown and what a awful writer I think he is.
"Your just jealous," this person said.
"Jealous? Why would I be jealous of Dan Brown?"
"Because he’s a famous writer."
Well, I thought about this for a bit because whenever strangers or near-strangers make these apparently keen observations about me, I always give it due consideration. So I first asked myself how I came to such a low opinion of Dan Brown in the first place. I remember: I read The Da Vinci Code. Jesus, man! I don’t hate Dan Brown, I hate his writing. I don’t want to drive his car or sleep with his wife — I just don’t ever want to suffer through anymore of his books. Second, I asked myself if I even wanted to be a famous writer like Dan Brown, because to accept that I’m jealous of Dan Brown, I’d have to be someone who coveted fame. But, here’s a little scoop: I’ve never really wanted to be a famous writer. I’d like to be a good writer. I’d certainly like to make a living from my writing (and by "living" I don’t necessarily mean a million dollars). Truth is, I couldn’t handle fame. In real life, I’m kind of shy and more than a little anti-social. Were I to attain fame on par with a Dan Brown, Stephen King of J.K. Rowling, I’d be pulling a J.D. Salinger for sure.
Sure, being famous is why everyone participates in NanoWriMo — because they want to be the next whoever. I’d like to believe that’s not true. I’m sure even Dan Brown didn’t want or expect the level of fame he’s achieved. What writer really, truly does? We just want to write. Should I live to be old and feeble enough to require the use of a cane and walk in tubs, I just want to look back on my life as a writer and see a body of work that I’m not too ashamed of. And isn’t that what we should all want from our writing?
Patricia | 27-Nov-09 at 1:43 pm | Permalink
Me too. I have no interest in being famous, but for some odd reason the activities I enjoy seem to be ones that lead to fame for some. Some of my happiest moments occurred on stage acting in community theater or dinner theater–however, I’ve never wanted to be a star or a celebrity. I feel the same way about writing. It’s a marvelously invigorating, yet solitary creative activity. No interest in becoming a famous writer, however.