This is the first of a two-part series where I’m going to take you through some of the pros and cons of being a writer.
I don’t know why, but it’s usually the norm to start with the positives. To spice it up, I’m going to start with exploring the emotional and creative downsides of being a writer.
Why Being a Writer is Hard: The Downsides You Should Know
This is such a dumb question.
What isn’t hard about being writer?
You dedicate hours to your craft, just for a few people to look your way.
There’s almost no money.
And don’t get me started on actually getting people to read your stuff.
It’s something that’ll make you feel like you’re sinking hours down into a hole.
Okay, this makes it sound like the argument is building up to a ‘but’.
But it really isn’t.
All those things are things you will suffer through as a writer.
There’s no other way around it than honestly going through it. But if you’re sitting on the edge, contemplating…
“Is this writing thing something for me?”
Sheesh, being on the other side? I get you.
Photo by Zhuo Cheng you on Unsplash
Now I could just go:
Here’s the things that sucks about writing and then proceed to give you a list of points. Which you and I both know aren’t going to do shit, but give you a hard time, I want to do it a bit differently.
I’ll still list the points, but while I try to explain from my own experience, I’ll also do my best at giving you some advice on how you can eliminate them or at least make them happen less.
Here are the biggest downsides of being a writer. All based on my own experiences as a still (relatively) new writer.
The Emotional Toll of Being a Writer: Navigating Loneliness and Isolation
First things first, writing is a lonely road.
Friends, family, colleagues or even collaborators – they’re ready to help you. And thank God for that.
But at the end of the day, it’s up to you.
You have to imagine the thoughts, create the characters and explore the plots.
There’s no other way around it.
“It’s all good, I’m an introvert anyway.”
Yeah that’ll be nice for the first three months, then you’ll how big of an downside it actually is.
I thought I was superman.
Thinking, writing, editing, I did it all.
Now, I still am, but phew – It gets difficult at times.
Whenever you hit a road block or things starts feeling overwhelming, it’s nice having someone there to make things easier.
I started sharing my work with my partner. I’d give her insight into my thoughts and ideas, show her sneak peaks, and just let her in on the work, and it lifted the cloud.
Because now she comes with feedback.
She’ll tell me if an idea sucks or if she doesn’t think a character is believable.
But most importantly, I’m capable of sharing my excitement or frustration whenever a character just won’t turn out the way I want.
There’s absolutely nothing beautiful about being able to do everything by yourself and it’s one of the biggest downsides of being a writer.
Therefore, at least include someone into your project.
They don’t have to write anything.
Just give them a small window in your projects and allow them to help you find the path to success easier.
The Pressure to Produce as a Writer: How to Handle Expectations
Name anything in the world and there’s pressure to do great.
And writing is no different. In fact, I’d say that the pressure is higher.
There’s no checkpoint where you feel satisfied with your writing.
It’ll either make it or it won’t.
Does this mean it’s useless to write?
Not all at.
Do you like to torture yourself for a good thousands of hours with the hope you might do great?
I know you do, your sadistic son of-
Just kidding, but you get the point.
Writing is like the gift that keeps on giving, and no matter how prepared you feel, one of the downsides of being a writer is that it’ll always find a way to make everything you do feel useless.
Yet, what is it they say?
Pressure makes diamonds.
Or in this case.
Pressure makes authors.
You just need to do two things:
- Stick with your writing routine
- Make your habits stick (make them fun)
This means find a time when writing feels great for you (morning, after work, before bed) and then set aside a specific time where you can get your words down.
Doesn’t have to be a lot.
Are you only able to write for 20 minutes? Can you only get 1200 words down?
It’s better than 0.
It’s better than the guy who’s still thinking about starting.
But, and this thing needs to be said, you’ve just started.
You don’t need anything fancy.
You’re a beginner, it’s okay to write weird things and only a handful of words.
It’s part of the journey. I know it can suck, but it’s honestly the best place you’ll ever be in.
Because for now, as a beginner, you’ll most likely only deal with two things: writer’s block and creative burnout.
Writer’s Block and Creative Burnout
Writer’s block, the blank stage your mind goes through when you open a document. It’ll feel like someone took an eraser and removed every idea in your mind.
Creative burnout, the creative part of your brain decided to take a vacation. How else can I explain it? It’ll feel impossible to come up with new ideas.
These are for some unknown reasons the first two best friends a beginner gets.
I don’t know who designed that game, but they are some useless and sneaky bastards.
One day, I sat down to work on my first novel.
I was 47 pages in.
The day before had been massive, 2200 words in 40 minutes, I was in the zone and ready to keep it going, but this morning, nothing.
Not even the usual excuses for why I couldn’t write – there was just nothing.
I didn’t know what writer’s block was, so I just thought I was losing my touch.
The solution?
I grew mad and just said fuck it and wrote whatever I wanted.
It was messy, but effective.
Within a few minutes I was back on track writing my first finished project. (205 pages in total)
I haven’t dealt as much with creative burnout, but if you ever get there, good luck.
It should be a bitch.
But I’d recommend you take a breather and get away from your writing.
Doesn’t matter how, do something else, and then after a few hours/days, depending on the severity, you should have new inputs ready to put into your story.
However, while they both are ass to deal with, it could be a sign of an underlying problem. Being creative requires practice and if you’re just starting, then you might lack that practice. This is why I recommend that you write short stories when you start.
The Stress of Public Feedback
If you have made it to this point in your journey, then a congratulation is in order.
It’s a massive feat and you should be proud.
It must have felt amazing setting that last period?
But now that you are here, it’s time for one of the worst downsides of a being a writer – feedback.
Having other people reading your stuff, especially the first few pieces you write, it’s nerve-wracking, stomach crushing and ahhh.
I remember the wave of nausea spreading through my body.
First through my stomach, up through my lungs and into my throat.
It surfaced right below my chin.
It stayed there while my partner read my first short story.
I think it should have taken her about 30 minutes, but with me pacing back and forth, it probably took her closer to an hour.
“This is actually quite good, I like it.”
She has to say that. – I thought.
You know that feeling? Someone close to you says something and you don’t quite believe them?
Yeah that’s how it is to be a writer.
Every time someone gives you anything remotely close to positive feedback, you won’t believe them.
That’s just the way it is.
And to be honest, yes, feedback, especially getting it in the start, is a fucking gut buster, but take a breather and remember, it’s a natural part of writing if you want to progress.
Lack of Work-Life Balance
Do you enjoy having balance in your life?
Well, say goodbye to that – That’s the consensus going around the writing community.
And to be honest, I couldn’t agree less.
I know the tone’s switching a bit, but let me explain.
Yes, it’s definitely a downside.
It’ll drain a great deal of your time, force you to prioritize, and tell your friends why you can’t do something.
But it’s something you’ll need to do.
Not because you don’t want to, but exactly because you know it’s necessary – Am I right?
Take my current schedule for example. I have a full-time job and do sports for 2 hours as well:
- Write an hour in morning
- Write an hour in the evening
- Read for an hour before bed.
These three hours are my current investment in writing.
To some, this isn’t a lot.
Hell, it’s not an unhealthy life-work balance. And that’s exactly the point.
When you are just starting out, it doesn’t have to be a lot.
I know I could invest more time to do more and get better faster, but really is it necessary? And how do you define necessary?
To me it’s not.
In fact, I believe to write slow is to write fast.
Yes, it sounds nice to say, “I spend 5-6 hours writing every day,” but if that makes your foundation crumble, then it’s not worth the rubble beneath your feet.
But on the other hand, you can’t ignore it either.
You want writing to be your main thing.
So, you need to do enough for writing to take over your full-time job and for that to happen, you need to push the envelope.
Just enough to keep the boat afloat, going forward and for this to happen, you need to start slow and eventually go fast.
Challenges of a Writer: They Aren’t Permanent
These are the biggest downsides of a being a writer I have experienced.
They have different degrees of severities.
And while they might not all hit you at the same time, it’s important to be prepared for them.
Because sooner or later:
Knock knock…
What will you do? You have to open the door.
It’s the life of a writer.
But just because there are downsides it doesn’t mean you can fight them.
Yes, it’ll require some work, a bit of experimenting and maybe a bit of adapting. But if you are hardheaded enough, then there’s truly no downsides of being a writer that you can’t defeat.
All it boils down to is, how badly do you want to be a writer?
That’s a wrap for today.
What are some of the biggest issues you have dealt with as a writer? How did you get over them or did they defeat you? Share your story in the comments or send me a mail – I’d love to hear them.
Until next time – Hope you have a productive and creative day.
Your writing buddy,
Jack