b.read.crumbs : Choosing

Broad generalization here: in Tarot, the Pentacles represent money and business while the Wands represent creativity or artistic endeavor.

I know writers who are very clear about their philosophy: “I write for money, just like doctors and plumbers and teachers work for money,” one of them told me. I know writers who wouldn’t accept pay for their writing if you stuffed it in their G-strings. (These are mostly poets.)

My choice is the middle path. I recognize that money is a form of energy, and that energy must be exchanged in order to maintain balance. Example: I give my energy in the form of a poem or story, and the reader or publisher returns energy in the form of…what? Money, perhaps. I’ll take it. I’ve got bills to pay and books to buy, after all. Organic milk chocolate is acceptable. Also fun postcards, unusual earrings, and kind words. (That said, I’m offering a free book for the next few days. Details below.)

I did a reading for myself using only the Pentacles and Wands. What’s your take on this? How do you interpret it? What stands out in this spread? What’s missing (besides Cups and Swords)?

Some days I swear I’ll never write another word unless I’m paid to do it. Some days I start quirky little newsletter/blog spaces to post (absolutely and always free) writing that is so much fun I’ve just gotta share it.

Mickey Spillane was a Pentacles writer. He often said “I’m a writer, not an author,” and explained that the difference is Writers get paid to write. Quite a few of the NYT bestsellers are savvy business people, capable of turning out consistently entertaining work to keep their readers and their bank accounts happy.

A majority of the writers I know support themselves, at least partially, with writing-related side hustles. Janisse Ray and Shuly Cawood teach online courses, some of them for a set fee and some for Pay What You Like. Lauren Carr runs a blog tour business and Laura Smith has a blog and newsletter devoted to writing. Most writers have day jobs that don’t allow them much time to create, but they manage it somehow. Clearly there are easier ways to make a living, so when you spot a writer getting a paycheck through some other means, you know you’ve found a Wands-y one.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Is there a difference in the work produced by Pentacles and Wands writers? Are you a writer in either of these categories? Are you a reader who prefers one over the other? Does anyone even care?

I have trouble choosing, so I’m truly grateful for this gift that Julie gave me many years ago.

HOW YOU CAN HELP A STARVING WRITER WITHOUT SPENDING A CENT

• Follow your favorite writers on social media. (Ahem. I’m on Bluesky)

• Share a writer’s post. (This one, maybe?)

• Comment on a writer’s post. (Again….)

• Subscribe to a writer’s newsletter. (At the risk of repeating myself….)

• Forward a writer’s newsletter to friends who’d enjoy it. (You know the drill.)

• Review a writer’s book on Amazon and Goodreads and everywhere else. To make it easier for you to review my book, the Kindle version of Patchwork is free from Tuesday, December 31, 2024, 12:00 AM PST until Saturday, January 4, 2025, 11:59 PM PST.

• Contact a writer whose work you’ve enjoyed, and say it: I enjoyed your book/story/poem/rant. (For example…. Contact Me)

• Spread the word. Start here. Leave a comment telling me about a fantastic author you’ve recently discovered.

ONE SERENDIPITOUS THING

This piece by a writer I just discovered: Writing for Love or Money? by Lily Iona Mackenzie

NOW GO WRITE SOMETHING—ANYTHING YOU CHOOSE.