Writers, where do you see yourselves in ten years? Are you a Beatle or a Rolling Stone?

My friend Scott asked what kind of career I’d prefer if the resulting fame were equal:

A. Something like the Beatles, where you’re a rising comet for about five to ten years, and everything you do is better than the last, and then you’re just done. (This doesn’t mean death, per se; trust me, I asked.)

Or!

B. A career like Bob Dylan or the Rolling Stones, where you put out an album every so often, make a few mistakes, take time out, then come back and blow everyone away, then the cycle repeats for duration of one’s life.

At first, I wanted the Beatles Comet Career. I liked the idea of doing my thing, reaching my goal then stepping away and moving on to something else completely, like traveling or a new project or studying Buddhism on a mountaintop somewhere.

However, I really don’t think being creative is something I can ever just stop—I’ve been perpetually creating since I was a child. Before I could even write, I used to color while talking to myself, telling a story. I would tell my stories to my grandmother and she’d transcribe them for me because I didn’t know how to write them myself. These days, I’m always working on a project. I = out of control.

Ergo, maybe I would like the Bob Dylan Prolonged Career of Doing Stuff or Not. I enjoy the concept of working to where I want to be, then taking a break to do another thing, and if I create/produce something else, I do it just because, just for me, just because it’s something I’m compelled to do. I’d like to reach a comfortable place where whatever happens is fine.

-LZ.

Note: Just to be clear, I am not audacious enough to compare myself to any musician or band mentioned in this post!

Note, Part II: If you choose the Beatles Comet Career, you cannot join Wings when the comet’s gone! I already investigated that option for you. I said, “Can’t I be Paul McCartney and, once my comet happened, just go on and start Wings?” and Scott said, “Dude, no, no one likes Wings.” Then I reminded him that we do, and that the radio still plays Wings and, the Beatles’ success aside, it’s a band generally considered successful… Scott became awesomely exasperated with me and said, “Dude, Wings has nothing to do with this! Forget about Wings, it’s irrelevant to this conversation!” No Band on the Run for us.