Is fame and fortune what a writer’s heart desires? I say no. The writer’s ego might desire fame. The mind, the lifestyle, the budget may clamor for money. But I say the heart of a writer will only be satisfied by readers.
Some writers may be fulfilled with only one reader. Some may need millions. Millions of readers is only a dream for me, but I need more than the few I’ve had. That’s not to diminish those who’ve read my work so far. They were a delicious appetizer, the amuse bouche, and they gave me a taste for more.
Unless my novel is read, it’s only a collection of words, ink on paper. It has no meaning. It has no life. When I announced that I’d completed writing Brevity, several people congratulated me. I felt odd accepting that. True, many people talk about writing a novel, though few actually do, but I didn’t write this book for myself—not just for myself. It wasn’t really completed when I wrote the last word.
A book is something best shared, I think. How often have you finished a book and immediately wanted to talk about it with someone? Whether you liked it or hated it. So, yes, I finished my book, and now I need someone to read it. I need to talk about it with someone. Many someones.
My heart desires it.
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Linda Cassidy Lewis 
My heart greatly desire this, too. For me, it’s pointless to write for no audience!
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I suspected you felt the same, Michelle. 🙂
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My answer, which is my answer to most questions, is ‘it depends.’ Journal-y kinds of things I rarely/never want to share.
Yes, I do want to share much of my writing. I’m not sure yet how large a pond I need/want to swim in, though.
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I definitely wouldn’t want to share everything I write. Sometimes even I don’t want to read it. 😉
I hope you find your ideal pool, Natasha.
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Linda, I heartily agree. I have always wanted to share my writing and seen it as something that might one day have an audience. Maybe that is why I never took to journal-writing–because I knew it was personal, the most personal perhaps, and by its very nature, wouldn’t (most likely) have an audience one day.
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It’s great that you had that goal for your writing from the beginning. Erika. And now you’re about to realize that goal! Have a wonderful holiday. 🙂
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