In a recent blog post, Catherine Baab-Muguira encourages writers to write about money because it is a topic that people are drawn to. It’s not wise to write for money because, well, writing is usually not a lucrative career, and it’s difficult for most authors, even the really good ones, to make money on a book. She calculated that she earned $6.86 an hour for writing her first book.

Thankfully, I’d heard enough of these stories before I decided to self-publish my book, 50 Years in the Bleachers. So, I’d occasionally check in with myself.

• Was the writing class that connected me with resources and lit a fire in me to go home and apply what I’d learned worth it? YES!

• What about the writing conference where I could learn from authors, publishers, and marketers about the book business? Absolutely YES! I still remember how I felt the first time I walked into the conference ballroom for the keynote speaker and saw dozens of silver sisters—women who looked like me, women who also enjoyed writing. I was with my people. So worth it.

Even if I had not published my book, investing a little money—and a lot of time—in my writing has provided me with many benefits. I know exactly what Baab-Muguira means when she says:

[Writing] can provide a way of being who you are now and a way of becoming who you are becoming, and I don’t care how woo that sounds because it’s true. Writing can also be a first-class ticket to flow state, helping you reap intense psychological benefits that lift you out of depression and anxiety . . . The work is a kind of relief, and how often can you say that?

It was a bigger decision to self-publish my book. One it took me a few years to make, because of both the monetary and personal cost. There had to be a justifiable reason to expose both my writing and my personal stories. A better reason than the possibility of making money. I decided there was. And I knew that I would regret it someday if I didn’t find the courage to put what I’d written out into the world.

Because my purpose was always more important than the goal of selling books.

I often reference Joe Ehrmann whose InsideOut Initiative is working to transform interscholastic athletics by prioritizing the social-emotional and character development of student athletes. In my book talks I have been drawing yet another parallel between sports and writing.

Ehrmann says when it comes to youth sports:

• The goal is to win.

• The purpose is to nurture the social, emotional, and character development of young people so they can develop skills not just for sport, but for the classroom and community.

As a writer:

• My goal is to sell books.

• My purpose is to encourage parents to learn about the benefits and the pitfalls of youth sports so they can make age-appropriate, healthy, safe choices for their children.

Now that my book is published, I will put my energy into activities that further my purpose.

As I use the next few weeks to regroup and plan for 2023, I’ll repost some favorite Lessons from the Driveway from the past two years, and complete my Title IX series on the 23rd of each month.

 I’d love to hear from you!

• Do you have questions or concerns about youth sports you’d like to know more about?

• What changes would you like to see in our youth sports culture?

Email me at hawkinsonchristine@gmail.com

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash