Why I Miss Harlan Ellison… and the “Good Old Days” of Being a Writer
Author and copywriter Robert W. Bly looks to Harlan Ellison to ask why anyone would pursue a career in writing if they didn’t love to write.
In 1977, when I interviewed Harlan Ellison for a small literary magazine, he said to me, “Mostly, I conceive of writing as a holy chore. It’s something to be done with what Balzac called clean hands and composure. I go at it the same way that I’m sure a priest goes at the sacraments. That’s the God’s truth.”
He wrote, as so many writers used to do, because he loved to write. He was a full-time writer, because that was the only job he ever wanted to have—though he worked at a few others (including driving a truck) in his youth. Likewise, my main reason for becoming a copywriter was because it allowed me to make a living doing the one thing in life that I love to do: write.
As my writing hero Isaac Asimov said: “I write for the same reason I breathe—because if I didn't, I would die.” He even wrote a book titled, How to Enjoy Writing. And when Barbara Walters, in an interview, asked Asimov what he would do if he only had 6 months to live, he replied, without missing a beat: “I’d type faster.”
So I have long been perplexed by the many copywriters and other writers I encounter who openly confess that they don’t particularly enjoy—and in some cases even actively dislike—writing. I mean, if you don’t enjoy writing, why do it?
Many writers tell me they are freelancers because of reasons other than liking the work itself. In particular, they enjoy having no boss, no commute, no meetings, and no corporate bureaucracy. If you want to be a gig worker and control your own schedule, there are plenty of options other than freelance writing. My oldest son was an Uber driver and a substitute teacher. Another friend enjoys great freedom and flexibility as a dog walker.
On the other hand, should your primary goal be to make a lot of money, there are many professions more lucrative than writing: doctors, dentists, nurses, commodities traders, bankers, home remodelers, accountants, automotive technicians, software engineers, corporate lawyers—the list goes on and on.
I made an okay living as a copywriter, consistently earning an annual six-figure income for more than four decades, and accumulating a seven-figure net worth while still in my 30s. But earning good money as a writer makes you something of an outlier. As John Jerome said, “To be a writer is to be a shuttlecock in a badminton game, one racquet of which is naïve optimism and the other a cynical despair.”
The worst thing about being a writer is that many people look down on the profession because, well, it’s not seen as a highly specialized skill. The barriers to entry are low. You don’t need certification or a college degree. I can’t put new siding on my house by myself, because I don’t have the expertise. But my siding guy not only can put on siding; he can also write, and in fact wrote a book—about siding.
Rodney Dangerfield famously said he doesn’t get any respect. And often, writers don’t, either. Because, arguably, “anyone can write.” And in this age of email, texting, and social media, so many more of us do.
One more thing: Harlan also told me, “The trick isn’t becoming a writer; the trick is in staying a writer.”
I became a full-time freelance writer in February 1982, and am still today. So by that measure, I am still performing the trick. And still having fun at it and also making money.
