Due Wednesday, 9/6 -- Interview Response

I recently interviewed author Lisa Bergren over email, asking her several questions about the role of writing in her career. Since she is an author, I was not surprised when she said that she writes -- a lot. However, I was surprised when I read that the most common writing activity she performs is not writing novels, but writing "Facebook posts and responses to others" for about an hour and a half to two hours per day. This reveals that being an author involves more networking and self-promotion than I had originally thought; authors must implement social media to reach more audiences. 

I was also surprised to read that, when writing her books, Ms. Bergren only writes for six hours a day at most. However, I was also relieved for the extra time that seemed to remain somewhat free in her schedule, especially when she said that most writers have to provide "another stream of revenue." I expected that authors do not pay the bills simply through their novels, at least not before many, many moderate successes. Ms. Bergren, for example, became a full-time writer after authoring twelve books, but she was still a freelance editor on the side. 

However, Ms. Bergren confirmed my belief that writing is not just fun, or, as she put it, "romantic." It takes a lot of creative and mental energy to create a book. Ms. Bergren said that, when writing wearies her, she focuses on different areas of her life in order to rest and recuperate. Then, and only then, does she return to creative writing. This made me realize that, while creative writing may seem "easier" or more "exciting" than other types of writing, it demands much more mental energy than writing a report would. Thus, while writers may not work a regular nine-to-five job, they are just as mentally exhausted as one who has been typing reports and memos for seven hours a day.