Author Loathing: An IWSG Post

9:49 AM Elizabeth Seckman 2 Comments

Image by Elisa from Pixabay

I do not want to be an author. In my mind, an author is someone who manages business while maintaining the creative. Me? I only like the writing part. The rest of the stuff does nothing but cause me anxiety. That business business feeds that little nag in my soul that I've forgotten something...

Something big. Something important.

One time, the nag was right. My state required I get a business license to sell my books locally and I didn't realize when I set up my tax account that I had to turn off payments to social security and was fined for it. Fortunately, I found the error before the fines really started to accumulate. But I didn't know I had to do that. So, now, when I think about the business side, I constantly have that feeling of wearing my pajamas to class on the day of a huge test I forgot to add to my calendar and didn't study for. Oh, and it will be half of my grade.

Oh, reality. Why must you be so tedious?

*Fortunately, I met Donna Schramm, my small business coach from the West Virginia SBDC. She walked me through some of the red tape. So, I think I'm good, but now there is always that tine bit of insecurity and loathing that nips at the euphoria of pure creation.

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Thank you this month's awesome co-hosts: J Lenni Dorner, Victoria Marie Lees, and Sandra Cox! You guys are amazing!

This month's optional question:

Many writers have written about the experience of rereading their work years later. Have you reread any of your early works? What was that experience like for you?