"Writing became an obsessive compulsive habit but I had almost no money so I thought about being an urban firefighter and having lots of free time in which to write or becoming an English teacher and thinking about books and writers on a daily basis. That swayed me"

This quote by David Guterson speaks to the power of composing and how it can become an intense routine. He was confronted with the predicament of needing to earn a living while still having the ability to compose. He thought about ending up being a metropolitan firefighter, which would offer him lots of downtime to compose, or becoming an English teacher, which would allow him to think about books and writers on a daily basis. Ultimately, the idea of having the ability to consider books and writers every day swayed him to end up being an English instructor. This quote speaks to the power of composing and how it can end up being an all-consuming practice, and how it can be a tough choice to make when faced with the problem of needing to earn a living while still having the ability to write.