The Writer's Weekly

Good morning one and all. I have a question for all you writers out there.

Do you think that writing books feeds a writer's ego?

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine last night and he mentioned that J. K. Rowling published her first two books while remaining anonymous.

Is there something more noble about doing that?

Does that mean that she wrote the initial Harry Potter books because she knew she had books within her that needed to come out and then maybe later on turned more to wanting to capitalize on her commercial success (or please the public)?

I think this is a really good question. Why? Well, often people start out as unknowns. Dr. Phil of Oprah fame is a great example. I read his first book Life Strategies and I found it really clear and no-frills and his appearances on Oprah were pretty humble and straightforward at the beginning. But his books changed the more popular and well-known he became as did his TV persona and I felt, when I saw him on TV, that he'd almost become a caricature of himself. Not good.

I don't think that has happened with Rowling, but I don't really follow her that closely.

It seems to be a common trend that as people become known that they change into something else when faced with all the attention and fame. Not everyone loses themselves in the spotlight, but many people do.

I have noticed that people blog about hoping to write that book that brings them the million dollar deal and a trip to Oprah and I have wondered if they really believe that fame will make them better or larger somehow.

I am not sure that I would want to gauge my worth based on what the American population thinks of me and my work I can tell you that.

Writing is really hard. I know I'm stating the obvious here but I don't think it can be said too many times. Writing a book can take years and I find it hard to believe that anyone would do it, at least initially, to feed their ego. But if their first book really took off, yes I could see the ego coming into it.

For me, right now, I just have certain things I want and need to say. I don't care if I'm ever on Oprah or even if I get on a best-sellers list sometime. I just want to feel that I did my absolute best with whatever work I created. That my work came from knowing what my inner-purpose is and that my creative fuel originates in the universe. If that's the case I know I will be successful at whatever I do, successful under my own terms--not the 'success' that society may want to impose on me.