You Probably Shouldn’t Be A Writer And Here’s Why

So, you want to be a writer.

Your first novel has been bumping around in your brain and you’re finally ready to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Maybe you want to be on the New York Times bestseller list or want to write thought provoking articles.

Either way—you want to write.

But, how many of you know that blank stare when you tell a family member or an acquaintance that you’re a writer? Do you begin to question if you made the right choice?

They say scrunch their nose and say, “Why?” Or they stare passively and say, “That’s nice.” Like they want to give you a pat on the head and a lollypop.

You get the urge to defend yourself and then you realize that they don’t think you’ll make it. Maybe it’s because they’re worried about you. How many people do you personally know that make a living from writing?

I know—none.

You begin to panic and wonder—should I be a writer?

Here are five reasons you shouldn’t be a writer and one reason you should. Maybe the one reason is enough to keep you going…

1. It doesn’t pay much.

Sure, James Patterson and Nicholas Sparks make big bucks, but starting out there’s no money. Even when you begin receive payment for your writing there’s not enough to support yourself. Maybe someday—but most writers will tell you—don’t write with the intention of quitting your day-job.

2. It takes a lot of time.

You know those days you just want to spend your time on Netflix, take a nap, or read a book? Yeah, I have them a lot. And many times they win over writing. Or maybe I have a family gathering or the weather outside is nice. The last thing I want to do is sit at my computer all day. If it takes you hours to read a book can you imagine the time it takes to write one? If you want to write you have to invest your time.

3. People are going to hate what you write.

Have you ever come across a book or article that had ZERO negative comments? Everyone has different taste so what you write will not be received well by all literate humans. Sure some people will love what you write—but others won’t. And sometimes they’ll be downright nasty about it.

4. Writing is hard work.

Some think that writing is easy—just sit at your computer and do it. But do they know about the drafts you go through before you have a finished book? Or the research you do before writing an article? Maybe they haven’t considered how words don’t magically fit together. You have to sit there and make them. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn’t.

5. Your work may never be seen.

Finding a publisher for your novel or article is hard. Some see your vision and others don’t—actually a lot of people don’t. You may have written works that you’ve poured your heart into, but nobody will take a chance on you and publish it. So you sit there—hours of your life gone into a project and nobody but your Mom will ever see.

This all seems disheartening doesn’t it? The reality of writing kind of stinks. So why do it? Why put yourself through it all if it’s not worth it?

Here’s the one reason you should.

1. It’s what you were meant to do.

Deep inside we know we have a gift, a purpose. For some of us it’s writing. We know that buried in our souls is a dedication to the craft. God’s placed it in our hearts and we need to get it out. The stories and thoughts in our heads are too precious for us to just leave behind. We write because we must. It’s what we were created for. It’s our passion.