Technically, a Writer: Day 3 of National Poetry Month

A “bonus post” since I jumped the gun before some of the prompts were posted! So here’s the second challenge, to combine the following:

“Open _____ ” and “a poem in which a profession or vocation is described differently than it typically is considered to be.”

Technically, a Writer

Open chat.
Enjoy the cameraderie of writers.
Until the conversation turns
to royalties and contracts,
publishers and agents…
“Have you been published lately?”
They ask, to be polite.

Consider yanking the modem cord from the wall.
“Line noise.” (Lame excuse.)

Then realize that it’s really all
a matter of perspective. Tell them
“Yes,” of course. Tell them
that your last book (you’ve lost count)
was published (because it was)
in more languages than those
of the famous author they adore —
twenty-six, you think. Maybe twenty-eight.

Five million books sold, worldwide.
(So far.) But who’s counting.

Fifteen hundred, two thousand dollars
each, and readers seem happy —
you get paid, right as rain,
every two weeks. You’d tell them
how much, but they’re already green
with envy. “Best part of the deal?”
you say, “Each reader gets a free PC
with every book.”

It’s all a matter of perspective.
Mine.

Inspiration

Another true story. When I was in college, studying Rhetoric & Writing, I dreamed of writing novels for a living. Or getting paid to write – I’d settle for that. After a few years in computer operations and systems engineering, during which I suffered from a massive case of “imposter syndrome,” I was tapped for a job as a technical writer. I didn’t know what that was, but it had the word “writer” in it and it wasn’t a demotion. I write well, I’m technically adept, curious, and a quick learner. I retired, in 2020, after almost 30 years of documenting hardware and software. Much of it was behind-the-scenes work, creating unglamorous but auditor-required internal systems documentation in fields like oil & gas and airline industries, until I went to work for Compaq/HP and wrote User Guides, online Windows Help, and eventually returned to a more technical field – data science, mining tens of thousands of product reviews for customer experience insights.

I have also published children’s books, anthologies of short stories and poetry, non-fiction articles, and blogs. Now, I am President and Webmaster of the Poetry Society of Texas and most of my writing is focused on poetry. But really, when someone asks me, “What do you write?” it’s easier to say what I don’t write. I don’t write about finance. Math was never my favorite subject.

This poem was an actual conversation I had in the Writers’ Ink RoundTable on GEnie in the 1990s — back when we still had modems that plugged into the wall. Probably at 14,400 baud. My books never bore my name, but that’s a blessing in disguise – I still got paid, “right as rain, every two weeks!” and didn’t have to field support questions. Ironically, a good chunk of my time, now, is spent fielding support questions from writers. About Windows and Word, self-publishing platforms, book covers, websites and blogs, copyright issues…

And lets not forget “how to answer a call on my Samsung Galaxy phone.” I’m hoping that, for once, you’re here for the poetry.

About the Prompts & Challenge for April

See Apricots: a Tanka Encompassing Three Prompts for the prompts I’ll be using (if I use any at all) this month. To the extent possible, I’m determined to combine all three, plus the Blogging A to Z Challenge, each day. That said, I reserve the right not to – despite my conviction that creativity thrives when challenged to overcome constraints.

I recommend reading the daily posts at each of these sites to get a fuller picture of the prompts, though I will summarize them here so you get the general idea:

• NaPoWriMo
• 2026 April PAD Challenge: Guidelines – Writer’s Digest
• April Prompts – Poets Northwest

Be sure to check out some of the Blogging A to Z blogs here, too! And do leave comments – seriously, don’t be shy. Real people who still blog still love to get comments! Egg ’em on! I’m number 81 of 133 on the list, this year.

Other National Poetry Month Posts

• National Poetry Month, Texas Style!
• Apricots: a Tanka Encompassing Three Prompts
• Bee Sting: Day 2 of National Poetry Month
• Cacophony and CBD: Day 3 in Nonsense Verse and Found Poetry
• Technically, a Writer: Day 3 of National Poetry Month
• Dive: Day 4 of National Poetry Month
• Storm Front: Day 4 of National Poetry Month
• Energized: Day 5 of National Poetry Month
• Grump: Day 5 ½ of National Poetry Month
• Future Frittered Away: Day 6 of National Poetry Month
• Hell, Hell, Hell: Day 7 (More or Less) of National Poetry Month
• Insomnia: Day 8 of National Poetry Month
• Juxtaposition: Day 9 of National Poetry Month
• Knife Edge: Day 10 of National Poetry Month
• Lost a Day: Day 11 of National Poetry Month
• Many Definitions: Day 12 of National Poetry Month
• New Form – Quadrille Quaiku: Day 13 of National Poetry Month
• Ode to Imagination: Day 14 of National Poetry Month
• Pixellated People: Day 15 of National Poetry Month
• Quintessential, Querulous Quintet: Day 16/17 of National Poetry Month
• Renewal: Day 18 of National Poetry Month
• Secrets of the Terrarium: Day 19 of National Poetry Month
• Tenacious: Day 20 of National Poetry Month
• Unruly: Day 21 of National Poetry Month
• Villainous Villanelle: Day 22 of National Poetry Month
• Waiting for the Chimes: Day 23 of National Poetry Month
• X: Day 24 of National Poetry Month
• You Are Here: Day 25 of National Poetry Month
• Z to A, a Reverse Abecedarian: Day 26 of National Poetry Month

Your Turn!

How might you look at your current job from a different perspective?

As always, I appreciate your comments – please leave one before you leave! And come back for more conversation. You can subscribe to get new posts and follow-up comments. If you subscribe to my Substack, you’ll occasionally get a little digest of new posts and random observations. No spam from me, and no cost to subscribe, I promise!