Take Joy

From my blog I’m sure you know I read a lot of books on writing. It’s an obsession, I’m certain, and maybe, I’m hoping I’ll absorb whatever it is that will help me be a great writer. I do love reading these books, but I’ve always like how-to books in general, anyway.

In 2003, I read Take Joy by Jane Yolen. This was the first book on writing that suggested there was joy to be had in writing, not opening a vein or blood drops forming on my forehead. She suggested it was a personal choice—writing with joy.

Over the years, I’ve come to agree. Why on earth would I want to do this every day unless I find joy in it? There are only a handful of writers who really make a good living at writing. And fame seems overrated. There has to be something else, something more.

Joy is the something else for me. More so now. Now, that I know how miserable I can be when I can’t write. I’ll take the rejections, solitude, frustration. I’ll take the struggles against children, family, friends, obligations before I ever want to face not being able to put words to paper again.

Now, that was misery.

So, I’ll take sideways glances and thinly veiled questions about what I do all day. I’ll take interruptions that drive me insane and guilt that I’m not the grandma, daughter, wife, mother I ought to be. I’ll take nagging doubt that never quite goes away.

When I finally was able to write again, I decided I would enjoy every day I wrote. I would ignore the miserable news about the economy and publication. I would care less whether what I write was the new in thing or not. I would just write. Write what it was that I ached to write. I would let joy flow from me in words.

I would choose. I take joy.