by
Ken Myers
When I first started out looking to be a
writer I thought that there was no money to be made in it. I figured that only
novelists and technical writers could get a job that paid enough to let you
live. Needless to say, I was wrong. Because of my passion for writing I tried
to get a job in the field anyway and succeeded.
However it was not the
financial situation that proved to be the most difficult part of being a
writer. Here are three issues that come with writing that non-writers do not
think about:
1. Repetitive
– Writing is very repetitive. You end up writing the same essential thing over
and over again. Editing and reediting is a part of writing. If you work in a
niche field like biology or technology then you end up writing about
essentially the same topics over and over again. Trying to come up with
innovate new ways to say the same things is emotionally and mentally draining.
As creative a field as writing is supposed to be, you still have aspects of
writing that feel more like corporate paper pushing and cubicle dwelling. While
writing can be very creative and freeing, in the majority of writing jobs you
end up more constrained and following rules than free and inspired.
2. Lonely –Another
aspect of writing is that it is a very lonely job. You spend the majority of
your time in front of a computer typing away with little to no social
interaction. Many writers either work from home or in a small office setting
where they stare at the same four walls day in and day out. There are
exceptions to this, like travel writers, but that is few and far between. Even
when you do have social interaction, like with your boss or fellow writers, it
is very limited. They read what you write and make comments on it if you are
lucky. There is little face to face communication. Being a loner is a good
thing if you are a writer, but even loners get lonely after a while. Even
successful writers who have published works that get comments from readers
outside the office setting frequently do not get to interact much and receive
little to no relevant feedback.
3. Draining –
Last but not least, writing is very draining. Think about it. You are poring
your mind and heart and soul onto these pages day in and day out with little to
no feedback. Unlike musicians or actors, you do not get to be adored or praised
for your work most of the time. You are writing out into the void without
expecting anything in return. That is why it is so important to have interests
and relationships outside of writing to recharge your batteries. Reading is
also a great way to fight the drain and get in new ideas.
I love being a writer, don’t get me
wrong but there are some aspects that I was unaware of when I got into it. We
all have off days at our jobs, things we don’t like. If you are thinking about
being a writer full time then consider how you will deal with these issues and
whether you are really prepared to devote all this time
and energy into writing.
About the Author:
Ken Myers is an expert advisor
on in-home care and related family safety issues to many websites and groups.
He is a regular contributor to www.gonannies.com. You can get in touch with him at kmyers.ceo@gmail.com.
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