I’m not a big Phillip Yancey fan. That mostly just means I’ve never read any of his books (unlike Bono). But this was a fascinating and helpful interview.
Hey Ken, thanks for sending it to me after I sent you the AP song about cheese (because you live in Mexico). We’re even now.
For those of you who are writers, or want to feel sorry for writers in your life, go to the 23:20 point and listen for a few minutes.
At one point he advises writers, “Don’t do it alone,” and goes on to say that there are many creative people, but:
“…they’re all into self-expression…but you don’t make a living in self expression, you make a living by connecting with people who want to pay money…to say ‘this is worth my time.’”
Good point, Phillip Yancey.
Also, you have an amazing ‘fro.
“You don’t make a living in self expression, you make a living by connecting with people who want to pay money.”
Absolutely, completely, 100% true. And it has as much to do with people actually wanting to listen to what you say as giving you money. Who wants to pay attention to an author on a private ego trip?
Joanne Alban used to babysit Phillip Yancey when he was a child. True fact that only tangentially relates to your post.
It is an awfully sweet fro… I think there’s more to that “don’t do it alone” stuff than I would’ve ever initially believed. I’m far more motivated to write when (using a real life, recent example) my wife catches up on my story and tells me what’s good and what needs work. It’s just a great thing to have people invested in your work.