A World Full of Writers...Scary!

Maybe it's just me, I don't know, but it seems like the entire world wants to write. It isn't that I resent others wanting to write--I understand the desire!--but maybe if more people actually tried it, instead of standing around talking about it, there wouldn't be as many. Let me explain before I start sounding really nasty.

I'll be standing around somewhere (church, the store, etc.) and someone will say, "Hey, congratulations on your latest work" or "How's your new book coming along?" Then another bystander will say,"Are you a writer?"

I usually come back with something such as, "I like to think so."

Then they'll say, "I keep meaning to write a book, but I never can find the time."

Why does this annoy me so much? First of all, I don't believe there is such a thing as "finding the time." People do what they really want to do or what they force themselves to do. It isn't as if a big green monster is going to leap out of the closet at random moments and scream, "Me writing time! Be creative or I'll eat you!" If this was the case, more people would write and stop talking about it...either that or the writing monster would be really fat.

The second reason this annoys me is that I resent the implication that writing--good writing--is easy. People seem to think that, as soon as they have a free weekend, they're going to sit down and rattle off a bestseller or two. Ain't gonna happen, folks. Good writing takes hard work, practice, perserverance, sweat, blood, tears, computer crashes, and lots of milkshakes.

While we're on the subject, I would like to add another thing that annoys me. This is when people come up and inform me that they have a great book idea and all I have to do is write it and they will share the huge profits with me! My, how generous! Most of the time, the idea isn't anything spectacular. And even if it is, that doesn't mean it'll translate into a great story or book.

I guess people who don't write just don't understand the writing process. It isn't like turning on the sprinkler before flopping down in a hammock and getting up a couple hours later with a fully-developed story all green and lush. It's more like cutting inspiration out of granite with a nail file.

But, now that I have had my little rant, perhaps you all have things to add. Am I being ridiculous or do you other writer types experience similar feelings?