Patty Mayeux Blog

I love dichotomic ideas that seem black and white, A or B. They provide a toe-hold and a hand grip on the frenetic rock wall of life. Writers create, authors sell. So simple. So true. Anyone who has put fingers to a keyboard or pencil to paper is a writer, but only authors succeed in convincing their audience to buy their stories. Writers possess an ember of passion deep within, fanned by the act of writing. Even an entry in a very personal journal births a thing of beauty or unearths a pathway to a new perspective. But selling? It is a master’s degree in the business of becoming an author with little regard for the creative aspect. Beyond the act of writing, aspiring authors recognize their own lack, their need for building craft and editing and revising until their black upon white creation sings, informs, inspires or entertains. Writers celebrate completing a literary marathon from short story to novel, but authors know that’s just the beginning. We must learn the business of publishing while writing again and writing more. It’s what we do even when the never-ending list of ToDos multiplies and gains strength, threatening to blow out that burning ember of creative passion. Letting it flicker is not an option. Not so simple.