It's December 31, 2017. A month ago I would never have thought that I would be posting here, or that something as interesting as Steemit.com might even exist. I'm a published novelist, a college professor of writing, and avid reader. Cryptocurriences seemed an interesting bet when investing in the stock market, but I would never have associated generating cryptocurrency with writing. And I don't mean writing blogs about the viccissitudes of the market. I mean writing about life. Writing about the things found in great books, or great posts, perhaps.

Let me tell you, writers struggle. From bloggers to novelists. There is nothing easy about writing bravely about subjects that might be too visionary or too strange for commercial audiences. Melville died in poverty. The public hated The Great Gatsby when it came out. So what can a writer to do survive?

A Writer's Survival Story

I spent my entire savings to take the time to write my novel. I was so poor there were many days I didn't eat in order to finish my book. I tried doing odd jobs, but the bills piled up. It took me two years, but I finished it. I sent it to the agencies and found an agent almost immediately. I was elated!

My agent told me he saw a film deal and a $100,000 advance from the big trade houses. He said he believed in my work. He sent it to the big publishers; at first the editors wanted it, but their marketing departments were in control. It wasn't commercial enough. The rejection letters started pouring in. After another year, it was finally published by a small press and received positive reviews, but it has made very little money. I nearly died writing that book, and now, well, here I am.

Writing has to be like true love. It's sometimes masochistic, suicidal, and yet, somehow, always worth it. There's some kind of higher calling. You have no choice. And all to arrive at a perfectly crafted sentence. To arrive at the unexpected ending. "No discovery for the writer, no discovery for the reader,” Robert Frost said.

I didn't set out to write about my novel with this post. I wanted to open up to you. I want to share stories here at Steemit.com because maybe just maybe there is someone out there reading this and just maybe they will understand what it's like to struggle as a writer or artist. This seems like a very supportive community. I'm so interested to see what will happen next.

Can I Help You Write Better Posts?

If some of you need help with your writing skills or grammar, maybe I could be of service. I edit manuscripts and student papers all day. I can edit your posts, professional writing, fiction manuscripts, creative nonfiction, and poetry. I've worked at the top literary magazines as a reader and editor. This is just a wild idea I've had while writing this post. I'm open to ideas!

Meanwhile, I hope to share some of my stories with you. Stay tuned.

And most importantly, I hope you have a SUPER DUPER HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! 2018! Yippee!