It always surprises me how some people react when they hear that I’m a writer or that I have an independent publishing company.  It’s as if I’ve suddenly revealed that I’m a trust-fund baby and have never worked for a living.  What kind of misconceptions exist that people believe writers are all wealthy?  So far, I’ve lost more money than I’ve earned from the publishing side of things, and while that is going to change soon, it’s going to change because of years of hard work and due diligence, not because someone handed me anything.

Another misconception I sometimes encounter is the misguided notion that writing is easy.  In my experiences both with myself and other writers I know well, here are the ingredients for a talented writer:  1) a truly difficult childhood involving a healthy mix of psychological abuse and social ostracism; 2) at least one severe health issue during childhood that forces confinement in bed for at least a month; 3) an overactive imagination that borders on schizophrenia; 4) dependency issues with at least one but usually more mood-altering substances; 5) long-term struggles with depression; 6) a deep and palpable feeling of never truly belonging anywhere for very long; 7) delusions of grandeur that what you have to say actually matters; 8 ) a thick outer shell to weather the storm of ridicule, criticism, and doubt that will hammer you from all directions; 9) a willingness to sit alone for hours on end and tell yourself a story; and 10) the dedication to your craft through financial struggles that make mere survival a challenge.

Personally, I have often thought that if either of my sons end up as writers, I will feel like a failure as a parent.  My hope is that they are well-adjusted accountants with manicured lawns and deep roots in their communities.

www.thirdaxe.com

I’m a passionate football fan.  I’ve loved the sport from an early age, and that love has not diminished over time.  No other sport so embodies the concept of team over individual as much.  Yesterday was a great day for football fans.  Brett Favre played a typical Brett Favre game, spectacular at times, flawed at others, but he gutted out a performance despite the Saints pounding his 40 year old body.  Drew Brees was magnificent.  Mark Sanchez proved that he belongs in the NFL, and Peyton Manning showed once again why he is one of the all-time greatest quarterbacks.

Despite all of the points scored and yardage gained, all four defenses played well, too.  While on paper it looks like the Jets defense got torched, they took away Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, forcing Manning to find Collie and Garcon.  For the most part, their defense kept them in the game until the fourth quarter, and against an offense like the Colts, that’s not too shabby.

The Super Bowl should be fun.  Brees and Manning are two of the best playing today, and both defenses have enough play-makers to match-up well against the potent offenses.  While I like Peyton and all of his skills, I’m giving the edge to the Saints because of hunger.  The team really feels like it’s playing for the city to restore pride and dignity to the people after Katrina, and that’s an intangible that can’t be measured on the stats sheet.  The game will probably be fairly high-scoring with the Saints winning late.  However it ends up, it should be an exciting match-up between the two best teams this season.

http://www.thirdaxe.com

I wish I could be one of those cold, heartless men who use women and then forget about them.  Life would be a lot simpler.  Instead, I’m a sensitive artistic wimp who always ends up broken-hearted.  Women claim they want sensitivity, but in my experience, once they find it, they spend all of their energy trying to trample it.

I hate being a sensitive person.  It holds me back in everything I do.  I want to be a shark–unthinking, unfeeling, uninterested.  I guarantee my career would be much better off, and I couldn’t be much more alone than I am now.