I’ve often had my fantasies of instant success, fame and sudden riches, but life is a great teacher and I have put my delusions and expectations in perspective, brought them down to earth where i can see them and live with them in reality. I’ve only attended one writing class in my life, a workshop on creativity held by the great writer John Updike in Cambridge, Mass. It did change my life, at least my writing life.
He told me that anyone can be a writer and a good writer, it depends on what is in your heart, not what is in your head. Writing is not about spelling or grammar, he said, it is about feeling and authenticity, emotion and truth. We are only creative for so many hours in the day, guard the time ruthlessly and use it well. Good advice, taken to heart, I’ve written 28 books and at least two more to come.
Updike assured us that a writer’s life was hard, and he was right about that to. But anything worth doing is difficult, I have come to see, and I was reminded of this tonight when I stopped into the kitchen of the Round House Cafe to see my friend Scott, who was putting in his 60th or so hour running the cafe and helping out in the Round House Bakery Cafe.
Friday is pizza night at the cafe, and Sunday is the instantly popular new brunch. But it makes for a brutally long day, Scott gets up at 4 or 5 a.m. to bake bread and muffins for the cafe. He will not get to sleep much until Monday, and Scott doesn’t really sleep too long for too often, too much going on in his head.
Scott will be there all day tomorrow and Sunday, towards the weekend he looks haggard and pale, but his good cheer and eye for detail never wavers. It has been instructive to see how hard it is to run a small business, handle so many details, cook good and fresh food, follow countless government regulations, deal with employee and equipment issues, food to order, menus to plan, customers to handle, bills to pay, dishes to wash, coffee to make, receipts to handle.
Scott’s work is never done, even as the the cafe has taken hold in the town and become a beloved and integral part of our community. Sometimes I fear that Scott will wear himself doing the long hours and very physical work. He says no, he loves the work and his Tai Chi helps keep him grounded.
His cafe has become a part of the town’s soul, Scott’s passion for the community and for healthy and good food is drawing people from all over.
Scott does his work much in the same way Updike taught writing and creativity. You must be committed, he told us, and ruthless in the protection of your creative time. It is possible for anyone to be a good writer, he said, but it is work, not drama, process, not mystery and mystique.
I respect people who work hard, they deserve success and they attract it. I do believe anything worth while doing is difficult and takes commitment, patience and a thick skin for dealing with struggle and rejection. I work hard at my writing every single day, and have for most of my life. And I think I am just learning how to do it.
I expect to write to the bitter end, and if I am lucky, I will go out with one hand on my keyboard and the other on Maria.