Many people do not believe that writing is an actual job. They think that our job is too easy to be considered work and that what we do is really just a pastime. That is completely unfair and writers should be taken seriously. Sure, writing doesn't require use to leave the house and some of us work in our pajamas. However, writers work just as hard at their job as everyone else. And just like any other occupation, being a writing comes with its cons.
1. Explaining to people that what I do is really a job
Whenever someone asks me what I want to do in the future and I tell them, a look of judgment or pity are the usual responses I end up getting. Then I always end up feeling the need to plead my case and explain to them what that I don't just sit on my bum all day, put words together and create magic out of thin air.
Being a writer is not a walk in the park. It's a real job that demands actual work. Maybe not physical work, but it is a mentally exhausting occupation. As a writer, I sometimes will go days without sleeping or eating proper meals, especially if I need to meet a deadline. It is part of my job description.
2. A writer's worst enemy: writer's block
Yes, writer's block exists. It is not just some folklore we make up as an excuse to extend our deadlines. It is a serious pain to deal with. Constantly coming up with new and original ideas, at some point, I am going to run out of creative juice and end up with a brain fart or twenty.
3. Everyone wants to be a critic
Anyone that dabbles in the creative field has dealt with their fair share of positive and negative criticism. You have the good criticism, where the feedback is meant to improve a person's writing so they can better themselves and then you have the negative criticism––feedback meant to put you down and make you feel like your work is utter trash.
Nonetheless, there will always be someone who feels the need to add their two cents into the mix whether I want them to or not. So having skin of steel is a must. I can not let other people's words discourage me from doing what I love to do. Confidence is always key!
4. Either it's perfect or it's garbage
Writers are perfectionists when it comes to their work. If what I write does not come out as I envisioned it, it is back to square one.
5. Thousands of ideas and only two hands
If only God blessed me with ten hands, I would get a lot more done. Whenever I feel inspired, thousands of ideas just comes to me from all angles and it is a struggle to jot them all down.
6. Grammar and Spelling
Many people have the misconception that all writers are grammar Nazis. Now, don't get me wrong. Some of us are wizards when it comes to grammar and spelling. However, you also have writers like me who only know enough to get by and have to proofread every five seconds.
7. #livingthebrokelife
I abhor it when people remind me that writers don't make a lot of money. I am not delusional. Unless I make a "New York Times" bestseller, I know I am probably going to live a paycheck-to-paycheck life. However, if making money is what I really wanted, I would major in engineering and aim to work for Google. But that is not what I want to do with my life. I want to do what I love, even if that means I have to constantly advertise my work until I make it big.
