I don't make product.
One of the hardest parts of keeping a blog is updating regularly. While there are longtime bloggers who get away with updating intermittently, there was invariably a time when those same bloggers were consistent and frequent in their updates. That’s how you build an audience: by providing material people can rely upon.
Unfortunately, I lost the blogging bug a long time ago, and while I still crave the outlet, I’m not as conscientious as I used to be. I let days or weeks pass without posting a single word, and then I wonder why I don’t have the engagement I used to.
Writing professionally isn’t much different. You must publish regularly to maintain a career, and successful examples of those who don’t, like Thomas Harris, are so rare that they can be counted on one hand. I haven’t published anything traditionally in five years, and I doubt that will change soon. I’ve lost that bug, too. As with blogging, I still want the outlet, but I am no longer interested in the slog of regularly producing “content.”
I got into writing because I enjoyed it. The act pleased me, and I escaped my crappy life whenever I did it. Now it’s a mess. I blame the publishing industry for souring me on the one thing I’m good at. The relentless drive to make money leads to viewing writing as a product, and I didn’t get into this field to make products.