JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum WHY DO WE WRITE?

[b][/b]Why DO WE WRITE- by MAB

There is always this little note, I notice on this site as well as pretty much all songwriter related web sites. It is a dirivation of several questions:

"We'll you tell us how impossible it is to get cuts or make any money...So why even do this?"
"If we can't even get a nod from Nashville, or get someone to listen to our music... why do we even do this?"
"If we can't make money from this.... "

You get the idea. And with things like the "MUSIC MODERNIZATION ACT" back and forth on streaming rates, compulsory licencing, power or lack of ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc. you name it,
"WHAT'S THE POINT?"

It is always a difficult question for me to even understand, because I, myself, nor any hit or established songwriter I've ever met, got into this business, started writing songs, moved from their home town, gave up financial and emotional stability, etc. EVER CLAIMED MAKING MONEY WAS A PRINCIPAL REASON FOR DOING THIS.

Not one. Ever.

I know that seems weird, but it is the truth. All of us did what we did because we felt WE HAD TO. We got as far as we could in our home areas. We wanted to change our location. We wanted to give ourselves the best chance possible. But it was never principally TO MAKE MONEY.
Most of us would have been happy just not to go broke.

We all had/have other jobs, other interests, other ways to bring income in and pay our bills. Some are great musicians and get jobs backing others up. Some develop their own studios, and go that way. Some turn to teaching (once people care enough to hear what they have to say) Some are business owners of other kinds, plumbers, electricans, contractors, mechanics, etc. and either work in those businesses for other people, OR farm them out, while things get hot musically, but NEVER completely get rid of them. They keep their liscences up, stay up to date on their business, codes, etc. BECAUSE YOU NEVER GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB.

There are some, sure that catch fire, get hit songs and the money comes rolling in. But you usually find them keeping their hands in. While they get really hot, they are also PRODUCING other artists (or being artists) developing their own companies for the future, or invest in companies for the inevitable decline in their popularity, they are going to have to BE BACK in those businesses.

So the question YOU have to ask yourself.
IF YOU NEVER MADE A DIME AT THIS, WOULD THAT STOP YOU FROM WRITING?

Do you have any hobbies. Anybody golf? Play church softball? Run? Exercise? Play tag or touch football?

So what if you don't play the Masters, walk on with the YANKEES, run the Boston Marathon, Compete in Mr. World, suit up and play with the NFL?
Have you FAILED if you don't do that? Have you spent thousands and thousands on equipment, lessons, trips, clothes, to support your hobby?

WHY DO THAT? If you can't make any money at it, why even try?

BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO. There are things that drive us all. And music is one of the most engrossing things you can do. And you can do it ANYWHERE. You don't need a hit record, huge contract, fame and glory.

You can CREATE your own world. You can go play a local writer's gig. You can start your own writers group or open mic. You can find other people around you.
Can't get TAYLOR SWIFT to listen to one of your songs?
Big deal. I'm willing to bet there is a "Taylor Swift wanna be" playing somewhere near you tonight.

And you can record your songs. You can do radio sounding recordings all the time. You can do them in Nashville, you can get hit musicians on YOUR records. Or you can find people in your area.

You can find and support a charity with a theme song. Raise some money. Help out your area.
You can make someone's life a little better. You can write songs about someone going through a struggle.

YOU CAN TOUCH LIVES.

And that is all we can hope for. Do it a lot in a lot of directions, you can find your way. Get your own web site. Interact with other people. You can do this. The INTERNET WAS DESIGNED FOR YOU.
This is YOUR platform. How you use it is up to you.

SO that is my own take on all of this. I can't tell you something magical is going to happen to you. I can't tell you that someday,somehow, someone will find the perfect formula that all deserving creators will get paid.
I don't think that will ever happen.

SO WHAT?

Make your own luck, and your own magic. Don't worry about anyone else. Worry about YOU.

This is TABLES AND CHAIRS. I wrote this for YOU.
The most important lines in it to me are:
YOU DON'T CHOOSE MUSIC, MUSIC CHOOSES YOU. I really believe that. Good luck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuufnn34E10

MAB

I compose because I can't do anything else. Well, and making love. LOL

John

I've been driven to do it from age eight, whether I wanted to or not, it all just seems to be genetic somehow.

Pulling a song out of thin air is enough reward, everything else is icing.

Writing cause you have to is an interesting idea. No matter what I do, no matter where I go tunes come into my head. I won't be able to stop that I don't think. So on that part, I think it's a bit like blinking or sneezing.

Granted, I don't have to develope the ideas, a lot of times i don't. But it's a part of u, so it's not going anywhere.

And I agree with Marc, nobody starts thinking about any money at all. I got my first pay when my hs band supported a school play. Never knew we'd get paid, it was like, huh your gonna pay us?

And most artists start with the idea "I wanna make great, honest music" and have all kinds of integrity behind them.

But just as when we grow up our values change, so do our dreams and goals

Marc, I actually think that it's youth verses adulthood. Youth dont care about money, adults do.

Not making any money at something is fine when you are a kid, but as an adult it becomes a bit of a handicap

Maybe when we retire our dreams and goals may change again, and we'd be back in it for the same reasons we started.

But every major artist who didn't start out thinking about money, now let's money lead the way.

Uh,
It beats picking strawberries? Well now, there was a song BMAB, I think Entitled YOU TAKE THE TABLE, I'LL TAKE THE CHAIRS. Guess I'll have to see if I can find it on you tube.

Found it. Both Claude Gray and Bob Gallion recorded it On Google, you tube.

Marc, that is one of the best blogs you've ever written. Music is like an addiction but in a good thing, not like drugs. I believe God give us all different talents, some never find their talent, others find it later in life, others make their living by using their talents. Some talents are on the practical side, like Doctors, teachers, lawyers, business men, carpenters, mechanics, electricians, etc. Some talents are artistic, like musicians, songwriters, painters, sculptures, etc. All talents are important and necessary, life would be dull with out the artist and life would be hard with out the practical talents. Only thing is the practical talents can make a good living, especially if they are good, where artistic talents are taken for granted most of the time and make little or no money. Most artistic talents have to have a job on the side to make ends meet and carry on with their passions, where practical talents is their job. They may have artistic talents too which they use for pleasure only.

If only society would recognize artistic talents as a very important aspect to life and pay for the pleasures it brings, life would be easier on those artist.

Thank you for reading Everett. I just responded to your post on taxes and feel it relates to this.
"WHAT IS THIS WORTH?" it is a question we all have to answer and more times than not, when it comes to music painting, whatever creative endeavors any of us go through, we have to gauge our worth in other ways.

Your own example of songs being sung in churches and other places is a great example. You touch lives. People that hear and sing your music are enriched for the experience. You might touch someone that saves them, literally and figuratively. You might reach someone on the edge of despair or at the end of their rope. Perhaps something you wrote gives someone hope, or makes them take stock of their lives.

I don't think you can put a price tag on that.

I have never had the marquee songs that so many of my friends and co-writers have. I haven't had the radio songs that every one knows. I am not the songwriting household name people know.
Yet I am one of those people that THOSE people quote, call on, refer and talk about as having had an effect on them.
One year I was at an outdoor street festival in Ohio, walking down the street. I was one of many Nashville writers on one of the stages there, and most all the rest of them were huge hit writers. I was just walking by myself when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was one of the biggest hit writers in Nashville at that time, who was just coming off an enormous Tim McGraw number one. He was one of the "Big draws" people were coming to see and one of the reasons the rest of us could make money by being there. We had known each other for years, but to be honest, I didn't know that he knew me very well at all.

He said, "I want to tell you something. When I first got to town you were one of the biggest live draws. You and your band did these monster shows and you had some of the best stuff I've ever seen Why you are not a star is insane but it is what it is. But at times when I got down, felt like quitting and moving home, I'd go see you and you would inspire me .You were one of the reasons I stayed in town."

I was stunned and it still is one of my favorite moments. I've been lucky like that. I've lived in a highly competitive town for thirty years. Have had just enough success to be considered a fellow professional by my peers, made just enough money to stay in the game and never had bad deals I've signed or anything that lasted any length of time.

I make a living writing, talking about, performing, presenting, producing music, and spend every day pretty much doing what I want I provide "LIGHT BULB MOMENT'S" when I sit with some person and show them how to do something they have heard about but never actually done .I have watched people go from being barley able to hold an instrument to holding rapt attention of crowds.

I touch lives. That's what I do. Might not always pay the bills, but it can sure pay off in filling up the well of the soul.

Can't put a price tag on that either.

MAB

No surprise there.



What's weird about it?



That implies a certain degree of drama. I just do it because I do it.

. . .

That seems a little overblown, too. When people like the songs I write, that's enough for me.


It's hard to say. If by "established songwriters" you mean professional songwriters, they're probably feeling the pinch of downsizing and automation, like lots of other people. A lot more broadcast music is computer-generated, which makes sense. The purpose of a publishing company is to make money.

So if I had to make ends meet by writing songs, I'd probably be anxious and frustrated, too. Luckily for me, its not a job. So I can write without watching or worrying about industry trends.

Delmont,

"Established songwriters" are those that have established reputations within the town but might not be the marquee "Hit writers" with top 10 or number one singles on the radio. They are known within the industry and their peers, and while they might not derive their principal income from songwriting itself, they are considered as capable and knowledgable as any of the hit writers, have songs that are well known, and are involved within the industry from publishers and record labels .Essentially, "HIT WRITERS" without a verifiable hit.

MAB

And really, what is a hit song? It has nothing to do with the song, or how good or bad it is.

A hit song is a song that has been heard by a large number of people. The business has been and will always be about exposure

Doesn't even have to be good, it just needs lots of people to hear it.

I don't like many hit songs, not one bit

Thanks Marc. I read the other thread about taxes before I read this one, I left remarks there that would fit better here but I won't repeat them here.

About songs touching people, it don't have to be gospel to touch people. I was set up in Walmart one day trying to sell our latest COUNTRY release. Walmart had me poked away amongst the women's clothing. I was playing the songs off the CD when I noticed a woman browsing through the clothing, half listening I suppose but not showing much interest, but when a certain song started playing, she stopped what she was doing and made a bee line for where I was sitting with a look on her face that told me that song spoke to her. She bought a CD based on that one song. That is what songs are suppose to do, touch people, speak to them and for them. People have thoughts that they just can't express publically, but if a song does it for them, they love it.

I just pitched a song to a female artist that she says I must have written for her, it told what was happening in her life. She said she wants to record it, I hope she does, she will be able to put the feeling into it that any song needs, because she lived it.

Everett,

That is exactly what I'm talking about. Touching lives. Music does that and it has this ability to help us rise above everything else. And that has rewards nothing else can replace.

I had a pretty good one last night. Here is what happened.

I do writers shows all the time around here. Mostly I am the feature, which is a thirty minute show on my own, where I perform about 8 songs usually. We also do "rounds", which are four people at a time, doing around 4-5 songs each. They can be incredibly good, or incredibly bad. Last night was the first one.

A week ago, I got a call from Lisa Brokop, a friend of mine, hit Canadian artist and the wife of one of my good friends, Paul Jefferson. Paul is a number one writer with songs like "THAT'S AS CLOSE AS I GET TO LOVING YOU"- fr Aaron Tippin, "YOU'RE NOT MY GOD"-by Keith Urban, and his own artist career, "CHECK PLEASE."
Lisa wanted to give Paul a "surprise birthday party and wanted to know if I could put a round together to have this surprise. We'd invite some of his hit maker friends and since it is CMA FAN FAIR WEEK, we could just get a bunch of CMA nominees and winners on it.

I didn't really know who was going to show up, I just told people (quietly) about the party/show and hoped for the best. When I got there, the place started filling up and then I saw a couple of people that blew me away. One of my favorite bands in the 90's and early 2000's were the band LITTLE TEXAS. They blew the scene away with great songs like "What Might Have Been" and "God Blessed Texas." So their lead singer, Brady Seals and lead guitar and singer, Porter Howell were there. They are all good friends of Paul, so we knew they would be great.

Paul got there and was REALLY SURPRISED!!! And the packed house was really egging him on, singing Happy Birthday and all that. As the show got going it ramped up with each song. Paul and his wife Lisa, and I all played a few songs, then started invited writers up. John Scott Sherril who had cuts on ALABAMA, and Billy Lee, who had a hit on GARY ALLEN, were very good. Then it went into hyperdrive, when we got Brady and Porter up.

Paul and I stayed up and played "WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN" and "GOD BLESSED TEXAS." And the place went nuts. I've already seen a half dozen videos on Facebook from people's camera phone. It was electric and frankly one of the main reasons I WRITE SONGS, to share with people that are amazing and be accepted by your peers.
Paul was obviously touched by everyone and gave his own astounding performance on several songs.

Then "MY SURPRISE" came. In the audience was another guy I had not recognized. SONNY LEMAIRE, from the band EXILE. As he got up and got set to play a song, I got to tell my "EXILE" story. you see, most people remember Exile as a band from the 70's, with a number one "I'M GONNA KISS YOU ALL OVER." IT was a HUGE hit, but then they dissapeared and most people thought they were one hit wonders. But in the 80's they went country, and EXPLODED with songs like WOKE UP IN LOVE WITH YOU, SHE'S A MIRACLE, and many many others. They were a huge country rock band.
In 1987 when my rock career had ended, and music changed, I didn't know what I was going to do. I was very depressed and despondent, and a friend invited me to go to this big outdoor concert featuring Lee Greenwood, and Exile. I went and EXILE were AMAZING!!! Great harmonies, great songs, very reminicent of the rock band THE DOOBIE BROTHERS, and I thought "If this is what country is today, DEAL ME IN!!!'

You see, that country rock sound was really coming in, and the old traditional folks hated it. But I LOVED it and changed everything about my writing, my style and attitude. And that is what led me to come to Nashville And that is why I am here and doing anything I am doing.
You see, music TOUCHES LIVES. Sometimes YOUR OWN.

Being able to tell Sonny and other people that play amazing songs with great writers and performers, and being able to share my music with great people is the reason I write.

Was another one of those MAGIC MOMENTS that I hope all songwriters get to have on their own.

MAB

Hello MAB,

Good to see you. I always enjoy your posts, the nuggets of information you give about the biz have been quite helpful, but I really enjoy your life experiences that reveal so much more. Thank you for sharing these with use and keep it up. Best wishes,


Speak soon,

But how can you touch anyone if they don't hear your music....

You touch the ones who DO hear your music. That is the point. You have to find ways to get it out. And when you get it out, you have to make sure it resonates with your intended audience. This is so often the disconnect with writers and audiences. Most of the time, writers are so self involved, they completely shut their audience out of their music. So they could get it in front of anyone and still have the same result. Mostly nothing.

So it is up to you to get your music out there, to find your niche, to respond to what people expect and want from you.

All part of the deal.
MAB

But for the non performing songwriter?

you could post here, but have you ever seen one person comment that a song moved them? No, they say, great production, enjoyed my listen.

I think ultimately, the reason people pay money or go see an artist, is cause they are moved, so I'm not sure how you would know if anyone was moved, if you weren't at least playing live, and people were showing up and paying for your work and to see you.

The rest is mostly people just responding nicely to your song cause you are there and asked them to listen.

I share my Songs with Groups and People all over the world on facebook and always hear how my songs moved them. I have had people tell me they got the chills and cried. THAT is all there is and there is no more. IF ya can do that at least you Touched People on a Deep Level and a hit song be damned. God didn't give me my gift to make hit sons or money. NO he gave it to me so the songs He sends me to write and sing change people's lives. A Great Song can change the world like no other art form and the power and emotion of the singer can really help the song get through. Don't just sing your songs LIVE your songs as you are singing them.

For the "non-performing" songwriter.

Well, they have an even higher hurtle to climb. They have to find artists, and for the most part, artists no longer listen to songs from people they don't know. So a non-performer is all but a NON-ENTITY.

None of this is easy. None of this is fair. Just because you write songs, does not nessarily mean people are going to like them. Non-performers have to be PROACTIVE and as I have been saying forever ,HAVING TO FIND THEM IN THEIR OWN AREAS. There are ARTISTS EVERYWHERE. But a non-performer is going to have to work extra hard. It is more political and relationship than the song. Songs are like air. WE all have them. Getting someone to breathe YOUR AIR over someone else's is the hard part.

But the results are exactly the same. Finding an artist, becoming friends with that artist and their friends, family, etc. Writing songs that register with that artist. Capturing parts of their LIVES, NOT JUST NOTES AND WORDS THROWN TOGETHER. Sitting in that room when the artist plays the song. Watching the reactions from the audience Having the artist record the song. Having them feature it in their shows and reviews.
You SHARE in that artist's career.

That is the difference between NOW and THEN. About 20 years ago, all music began to change. Now it is changed. As Mike Dunbar used to say "Adapt or DIE." And that is pretty much it. You either adapt to the new dynamic or you don't.

But the rules are the same for everyone. Writing something that people embrace. Having it register every time it is performed or the recording performed. Meeting other people who are impacted by your songs. And if you do all that hopefully people will pay either money or attention or both.

Repeat the process.

MAB

Which brings it back to what all songwriters realize at some point, it's too much work for no return.

I played combo gigs with some originals and some covers, to be honest the reaction was the same for everything I did, which was...oh you're here...Really? I didn't notice you were playing.

It's relatively easy to get a good response when you invite your audience, but to me that doesn't mean anything. It's nice your friends and family show up, but they will always tell you you were good.

if people are not visiting your shows and seeking you out online, and buying your music, or streaming it, they are just doing you a favor, they are not really into your music.

thats not an insult to anyone, I know some great artists who have the same problem. Plenty of people will tell them they are really good, they can get good reviews etc, but people are just not ravenous enough for it to mean anything.

And remember a lot of people think that if you are not famous, then you are not as good as somebody who is. You could have the greatest song out there, but if it's not on the radio or on top playlists, nobody thinks it's worth anything.

I actually played many times to Nobody....An Empty Room.
It was tough but I pretended there was a full house.
But it's tough playing a fifth set at 3AM to nobody.
Tough and Lonely.....Half drunk with painful fingers and just tough. I wrote about it in my song called Playing To An Empty Room....

Yeah the professional thing to do is to play like it matters. Very hard to actually do. Most of the time your thinking man let me get the hell out of here, with my hundred...err, after a few beers and a meals, my 80 bucks...

I guess everybody has gone through it though, it takes a lot of stick to it ness, and I know some guys who are still doing it.

It almost gets tiring saying...nah man, I can't make it you your gig tommorow.

A funny true story. It was just before my fifth set and I asked the Mgr. If I could hold off until somebody comes in. The wasn't a soul there and I was drunk and tired. He said he was paying me for five sets and that'hat he expected. SOOOO There I went and did my best and when it was over I turned around to turn off my tired amp and heard on loan person clapping. I turned around and the Cook came out and told me my last set was fantastic especially all the original songs I played. He said I did Good.....WOW that was amazing. One person is enough.....and I'll never forget the lesson I learned that night. An audience of one is good enough and if only God hears that is more than enough for me as these songs I write are not mine anyway......they come directly through my roof and into my head right her in my little den/studio.

I would agree, if one person is GENUINELY impressed by a song it can mean something. Some people refuse to give u any credit, some are fake, some are being nice, some are a combination of all that.

I did a gig with s friend of mine, it was a pretty tough guy and girl bar, but for some reason a gay guy happened to show up, and approached our stage. He says, " omg did you write that saaawong? That was something, it reminded me of a few summers ago when I had an ex lollll. No bones about it.

But I tell ya, I appreciated it, cause it was genuine, and it lined up with how good I thought the song was. Actually, a number of people commented, I did announce it was a song I wrote, so they knew it wasn't something they heard before

But I would agree, if u get a genuine comment, and for me it's easy to tell what type of comment it is, but a genuine comment will make your night. Won't pay anything, but makes carrying all the gear home a little easier

I wrote this song all about what you just commented on. I always tell people that if they are in a small hotel bar etc. and some guy or gal is sitting on a stool singing original songs with his guitar or piano PLEASE Go over and tell them if you like what they are singing. It means more to a singer songwriter than you can imagine. Your comment may spur them to write that next song and keep playing.

This is the song if anybody is interested....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB-O234qX3w

I remember that one Barry. To me, a genuine comment doesn't need to be coaxed, somebody says it cause they were moved by it.

They are rare, and are easily identified.

That's where having a large audience helps, by sheer numbers somebody is going to get you.

Yup, that's whom I'm saying it must be frustrating for.

Just guessing. I don't know any pros. I just like writing songs.

I get to sing in church three or four times a year. Some say they like my voice but I don't think I have a good singing voice, so I figure they are just being nice, I don't particularly want to sing but I like getting my songs heard. I've put songs on CDs a have given them to performers locally hoping they will sing some sometime because they sing quite often, but rarely do they sing one. They have a set of 10 to 15 songs that they sing all the time. I don't know if they are too lazy to learn a new song or they don't like my songs. There is one guy that loves my songs and he usually will sing one of mine every time he performs. And the rest of the bunch says it is a good song.
When they won't sing a new song, is it that they don't like my songs, or don't like me and don't want to do me any favours, or just want to do old songs that the audience can relate to. It's enough to give a person an inferiority complex.

My songs might be inferior, but I'm not!

Marc appears to be the board physciatrist, as well as resident Nashville expert, lol.

Everette my experience with Christian music, which is limited, but I do know somebody who plays music at his church every week. But in general, religious people are looking for the Christian part in the song. They don't care if it's the worst song there is, as long as it mentioned Him, and is respectful

No serious Christian is going to say a song sucks when the song mentions Christ and praises God.

You might as well ask your Mother if you're handsome.

On the other side of the coin, the Christian music business is as cut throat as the regular music business.

I bet you in their spare time, they listen to Christian music, only if it's entertaining

The way the Catholic Church music works is, it must be reflective of the Gospel reading that week. They typically bore the parishioners with drone music, anything too entertaining won't make the cut

I say it often. A lot of them suck. Some of them are pretty good too. I'd never lie to God about that. He deserves the best possible music.

John

You're not going to lie to God, but you will lie to people. Christianity is based on being nice to people.

People lie every day on this forum. Nothing sucks....

God may deserve good music, but the people haven't figured that out yet.

Rejoice, rejoice....Emanuel!

It's no wonder people, fall asleep in Church

LOL...
BTW Christianity is based on exclusion. If you don't believe and tow the line you are going downstairs after you die....A Bunch of Bunk if you ask me.

Well the religion started long after Jesus was walking around. Remember the game telephone?

Imagine 50-100 years after, starting a religion and saying this is what Jesus wanted.

I hope this thread doesn't turn into a Christian/ religion debate. They go nowhere.

John

Nah.

I agree, many the new Praise and Worship songs I hear in church sound like they are written by new songwriters just learning to write. Have little rhyme, no story line, say little with forced structure. They do say the same words over and over so they are easy to remember and play. But I guess they are designed to set the mood to worship. I like the older songs that were well written but not the ones that are hundreds of years old.

I dunno, Everett. I don't think anything will ever top Amazing Grace.

Scott

I agree 100%. There are some old ones that will never be topped.

Why do we write ? Why does anyone produce art ? It's quite worthless in itself. It's just cheaper than the psychiatrist's bill.

cheers, niteshift

Ayn Rand says that the cognitive function of art is “to bring man’s fundamental concepts and values ‘to the perceptual level of his consciousness’ and allow him ‘to grasp them directly, as if they were percepts.'” For more read her "Romantic Manifesto". Haven't read it since my early years. I'll have to purchase a copy. Interesting reading as I remember.


Okay, no Ayn Rand bashing! Let her rest in peace.

John

My bro says "music goes where words can't reach".

John

MAB

It is like an itch that we scratch out to satisfy the urge--Our scratching is done with words and phrases that may or may not ever be put in a song form, but all the while thinking the impossible, that our scratchings make sense, and affect someone else with the same feelings we had at the beginning of the itch!

Either by luck or plan, an interest in the scratchings, puts the whole thing together with music to be a song-- AND IT"S A SCRATCHING ICHING HIT!!!!!!!!!


Mackie

I write because I like the issues and emotions I can explore through writing music, and I love the skills it takes, both on the instrument and with the pen. Challenges me everytime. I approach music in a pretty academic way, so its about the creative exploration for me, trying to be expressive, detailed and gain new knowledge about myself and other people.

I guess I write because I HAVE Issues...lol

For lots of people, yes. Not for all of us. I'm not trying to "touch" anyone. I leave that to AT&T.

I write songs because I enjoy it. It feels good to write songs. It feels good to be in the zone. I'm content when I'm writing them, practicing them, and playing them.

And I do perform them. It's flattering when people compliment them, and I love it when someone else performs one of them. But that's just icing. It's not the point.

For me and lots of others, the point to writing is to write.