TO WRITE OR NOT TO WRITE

…that is the million-dollar question… “To write or not to write?”

Am I such a great saint that I do anything (or everything) without expecting rewards/returns? (कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥ Meaning: You have the right to work only but never to its fruits. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.)

The answer is an emphatic “No”.

I do seek rewards/returns for my efforts.

I am a writer and an author. What kind of returns do I expect for my works? Good sales for my books, at least reasonably good sales. Good reviews for my books, at least reasonably good reviews. Good readership for my other writings – short stories, poems, blogs, and posts on social media platforms.

Criticism? Of course, it is bound to be there. True, it is difficult to digest criticism but if I find constructive quality in it, I would truly appreciate it, too.

Simply put, I write for recognition. If, in the process, I make a little money, well, I will surely be happy. For me, readership and interaction count e.g. my writings on Your Story Club. The “rewards” I got there were few and far between but the recognition (and appreciation) I got there was reasonably good. I could not have asked for more given my “style” of writing and the topics I chose (they are anaemic, you see).

If I can achieve even a fraction of the philosophy of "To work you have the right, but not to the fruits thereof" I can confer sainthood upon myself.

Bye for now.

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