Writers are an interesting breed of individuals, and there are many types of writers out there. Some favor the worlds of journalism and biographies, while others prefer the realms of fantasy: faraway lands and made-up heroes who readers can resonate with. Some prefer to write small tales and stick to ten pages or less. And others create long sagas about a completely different world. No matter how long the story, or what genre you write, you are a writer.
Writers are creative, clever, and interesting people. Being a writer means that there are certain things you understand, even when others don’t seem to get it. Here are some things that only writers can relate to.
1. A writer’s desk is NEVER organized
Contrary to popular belief, a writer’s desk is never, and I mean NEVER, organized. It is cluttered with notes, papers, journals, pens, markers, and other desk necessities. It is more of an organized mess if anything. We know where everything is, but whoever looks at it would think that a tornado flew by and only managed to mess up the desk.
2. We have stacks of journals on top of stacks of journals
Writers have this tendency to keep everything they have ever written and never throw them away. We don’t have just one journal, not two, and not even three. We have journals from the early days of our writing careers. Some, like me, still have their journals from their middle school days. We just can’t seem to say goodbye to them.
3. We never leave our house without a pen, notebook, and a book
4. Two words: WRITER'S BLOCK!!!
There is nothing more frustrating than not knowing what to write about or where to go next in the story. There is no right way to break that wall. Some try to distract themselves or just leave the work unfinished. The only thing a writer can do is wait. Wait for that idea to show itself. But there is nothing worse and more frustrating than having to wait for the block to end.
5. We can’t work with deadlines
You can’t rush perfection, and that is exactly the goal for every writer. A writer is a perfectionist. Writers need to make sure that every word and grammatical marking is correct. We need to make sure the story flows exactly how we wanted it to. A deadline can be constricting, and it can make a writer feel rushed or pressured to finish their work. Yes, a lot of writers, especially journalists, work with deadlines all the time. Those types of writers know how to get out of their writing OCD and tell a great story without having to feel like they are being rushed.
6. We can write a 50,000 word essay in 15 minutes
Okay, I was exaggerating a bit with the 50,000 words, but you get the point. A writer is really good at BS-ing an essay a good hour before its due date. Writers are good with words and know exactly how to conjure up a compelling essay--or at least one worthy of a passing grade--without any planning whatsoever.
7.We all have different writing processes
There is no right way to write. You can write on a typewriter, paper, or laptop. You can start from beginning to end, or you can see where you what to end and work backward from there. No one can tell me, or any writer, that their process is wrong. A writer’s process is just as unique and different as they are.
8. Daydreaming is just our natural state
A writer’s mind can easily wander. There is a lot that goes on up there, and it can drift at any point in time. It can go to many places and go on many adventures before he or she even gets up to start the day. It’s both a good and bad thing. It helps you escape reality, but you could have missed an entire conversation or lecture because you were thinking about what it was like to have wings or the head of an eagle, etc. I think I was just daydreaming about birds. That was a really strange analogy about bird people…
9. We have an entirely made-up world in our heads
For J. M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, it was Neverland. For a writer, it can be anywhere or anything. It could be in a galaxy far, far away. It can be a world where young wizards go to a school and learn about spells and potions. Everyone has an entire universe in his or her head. Writers just know how to put it on paper.
Some people say that writing isn’t hard and that everyone knows how to write. Look at me. I’m writing right now. But what makes writing hard is taking an idea and putting down on paper and describing it visually by only using your words and imagination. Writers know how to take what they see in their heads and put words to it. Being a writer isn’t easy, but those who write have a great passion and love for the written word. Writing is a part of them, and it gives them a place to escape from reality.
