Based on the "just viewed" section, it's clear that many of us here have been lured like a fat man to a buffet by the possibility of cash. Some of the people here have also made money from their writing through being published in the real world. Having had a few things published, there's a definite thrill from getting paid (although writing gigs that pay well are scarce), but most people who stick with writing - be it blogging or whatever - will probably do so to satisfy a creative urge. Every now and then, you might get a surprising and unexpected reminder that sometimes you do reach someone.

Years ago, I met a girl from the UK in a music chatroom. There was the typical chatroom babble - no matter what the subject matter, there'll be 90% of the room shrieking like monkeys with Tourette's Syndrome and the rest trying to actually engage in articulate, coherent conversation.

Anyhow, amidst bellows of "BLACK SABBATH RULES" and such, I started chatting with this girl about a band which is virtually unknown in the US but major stars in the UK. D was about fifteen years younger than me and we would chat now and then. It was like suddenly having a little sister and it was interesting to try and console her at times over things that, at her age, would have upset me as well. But, it was strange to have much more perpective on the subjects.

Now, during this time I was also working on a novel and D had wanted to read it, so I sent her a copy. She told me how much she had enjoyed it and had read it all in one sitting. That was nice, but anyone who has done much writing has probably learned that it can be difficult to get honest criticism from friends. It didn't go to my head, you know?

Some time later, she e-mailed me, distressed beccause a neighbor had supposedly poisoned her cat. I tried to console her, but there's not much to say in such a situation. It was her beloved pet. Someone had cruelly murdered it. It's not hard to imagine how upsetting that would be.

The next I heard from her ,she wrote excitedly, photographs attached, about getting a new kitten. It couldn't rectify what had happened, but it was a small thing that had brought D some happiness and given her something positive on which to focus.

Then, she told me that she had named the kitten after a character in my novel. Now, cash is cool. I use it to buy snacks and smokes. However, it was a lovely compliment that she had paid me. Whether she had truly liked the book or not, something had apparently resonated and stuck with her. It's a humbling thing when you get a little affirmation that, through nothing more than words, you might be able to have an impact on someone, somewhere, whether you ever know it or not. It's kind of a "wow moment.