I Guess I’m a Writer
In a plane, one of my favorite places to be, I filled in the form on the tray table.
If I designed customs forms, I would make them with a crease in the middle so that they could easily fit into a pocket. As is it’s a bit of a predicament. I don’t want to just hold on to the thing while I get my bag out of the overhead compartment. I might lose it or crumple it.
I don’t want to fold it either. That might be a sign that I’m a drug dealer, or at least someone with some contempt for authority. Those bored people in the little glass booths have a lot of power. Deny my extra-long-and-thin piece of paper, and I’m in trouble.
First Name. Tynan. Sex. Male. Flight. Let me check my similarly poorly shaped ticket.
Occupation. Writer.
That’s a new one.
First it was student, then professional gambler, then pick up artist, and now it’s writer.
I wrote it automatically without consideration, and until that moment I hadn’t ever considered that I had actually become a writer.
I make money in two ways - Make Her Chase You, my book, and writing for Gadling.com. That’s writing.
And I do a lot of it. On a good week that’s an article for Gadling, a Make Her Chase You newsletter, Two articles for this site, another two for Life Nomadic, and seven little ones for Daily15.
Soon I’ll be making the bulk of my income from Conversion Doubler, at which point I’ll officially be a programmer, marketer, or maybe even an entrepreneur.
But until then, I’m a writer. I get a kick out of that. I realize, of course, that the gamut of writers range from blog/ebook authors all the way up to the literary greats like the writers for Arrested Development, and that I’m at the bottom rung.
What’s funny is that I don’t actually like writing very much. I consider it a necessary and not particularly offensive obstacle in the way of me doing things that I really like doing: telling stories, sharing my opinions, and massaging rows of small plastic squares.
For example, when I write ebooks (I’ve actually made several little ones you probably don’t know about), I never design it until the end. I love designing ebooks, so that’s my carrot at the end of the stick that gets me through the hundred or so pages of typing.
Once in a while I get the idea that I’ll write a real novel. It’s something to do, and I want to do everything, so I imagine that I will actually finish one someday (PS - congrats to my friend Tiffany for actually DOING it!).
I started one about an awkward high schooler (hmm… where did THAT inspiration come from), and then another about a kid whose father is killed, which leads him to discover that he was a government agent and then he has to go avenge him or something. I loved the idea of him finding out this huge thing so much that I never got past that point.
Now I’m thinking about some ideas for writing a “how to live an awesome life” book. That’s what I need… another project…



(6 votes, average: 3.5 out of 5)









May 21st, 2008 at 8:57 pm
You’re not a writer, you’re a biter.
OK, maybe not, but I figured you’d be into the Jay Z reference.
May 24th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
@Matt: Writers bite, then write.
@Tynan: I’m really excited for your book on being awesome. This is an area that I think is not included on many pickup/personal development websites. (Myself, I’m on a Quest for Awesomeness.
Perhaps the new book will start as a series of blog posts?
May 25th, 2008 at 3:20 am
Tynan, you have to write that ‘how to live and awesome life’ book. Write a overview and a sample chapter and pitch to an agent. Get a proper book deal.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:48 am
I like the process of writing. I finished a novel. Yea, it’s about a guy like me hooking up with a hot girl. I know, your dick’s more imaginative. But it reads pretty well.
Best way to write a novel: Write. Everyday. Just read your last page and continue where you left off.
Also, I think writing non-fiction is completely different from writing fiction. So your blog-writing-skills might not immediately jump over to your novel-writing-skills.
And you’re right: you probably should convey more emotion in your writing
But: I like your writing even as it is. So having interesting things to tell certainly is a good head start you have over most people.