What’s the most difficult thing about being a writer?

Being a writer is not easy. We pour our hearts and souls out, spending hours upon hours writing, editing, rewriting... and in the end we're still never sure if people will actually buy a copy of our books. It's hard to know where we stand when it comes to our writing skills too as one person might love it and another hate it.


There's the isolation factor. As writers we tend to spend a lot of time on our own. Even when we try to involve others in what we're writing they are 'outsiders' and not completely involved in the same way we are.

Then there's rejection. Criticism is hard to take especially after you've put so much time and effort into creating something. Whilst negative comments aren't pleasant, total rejection can hurt. It goes deeper than a bruised ego. A book really is like a baby and getting a rejection letter is the equivalent of showing off your newborn and people saying, “Eww! Put that thing back inside!”

The time factor. Finding the time to write can be a big issue. Family commitments, a day job, and well basically life in general make it hard to find the time to get any writing done. Not to mention the need to market our products which also takes time and with the ever changing technology can become quite frustrating too. 

This leads us on to finding a balance. Between life and writing but also between marketing and writing.

Patience. Being a writer also involves a lot of waiting. Waiting for replies from queries, waiting for book reviews etc...

Obviously there is a positive side to being a writer too but it's not all glamorous and fun. That’s why you have to love it, or at the very least have a love/hate relationship with it.

Leave your answer in the comments so we can all commiserate together.

6 Comments

  1. Elizabeth Sullivan25 May 2012 at 08:43

    At 12 I started writing an alternate life for myself - since my real life was BORING. I did A LOT of writing for the next 8 or so years (stories that were obviously written by a kid). I still have most of them on a thumb drive that I keep in a fireproof safe.

    At 16 I dropped out of high school to focus on writing.

    At 19 I met a guy whom I only got to see on the weekends (he worked up to 16 hrs/day during the week) so I still had time to write.

    At 23 my first daughter was born. It was obvious from a young age that Sasha wasn't "normal" - she has since been diagnosed as being Developmentally Delayed. It took more than 10 years for the "experts" to figure out what was "wrong" with her (they originally thought that she had ADHD).

    A year after Sasha was born I went back to school, so my time was filled up with school work, leaving me no time for writing anything other than essays for my classes.

    With the popularity of the Internet I have found a new lease on writing. I'm working on several stories that I intend to publish online.

    I still find writing very exciting. If I happen to luck out and start receiving recognition for my writing I will be the happiest woman alive; otherwise, it will always be my favorite "hobby".

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    1. Jo Linsdell25 May 2012 at 13:24

      Thanks for sharing your story Elizabeth. Keep writing. I really believe that we play a part in creating our own luck so keep writing and promoting your writing so that you can achieve the recognition you deserve.

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  2. O.C.Knox27 May 2012 at 23:39

    I used to write when i was a kyte. I read what i wrote, and i still remember some of my gone work. I just thought it was silly when i reread it years later, I found it stupid. I threw it away. I was eight, probably ten years of age. Sometimes I regret. Writing is my favorite hobby. I would love to make a living out of it, by writing stories, novels, etc.

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    1. Jo Linsdell28 May 2012 at 11:22

      I wish I'd kept some of the stuff I wrote when I was younger. Some of it would have been perfect to turn into children's books.

      We are often our biggest critic. Keep writing. To be a writer you must also be passionate about it. It you get joy from doing it, some one will probably get joy from reading it.

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  3. Terri Bruce30 May 2012 at 00:10

    LOL, the most difficult part of being a writer is whatever part you're in at the moment, LOL! I thought it was drafting, then editing, then waiting for query responses, then I thought it was waiting to hear what the editor had to say, then editing on a deadline, then waiting to see the cover art. Now I think it's waiting to get my ARCs so I can start sending out review requests. Later I'm sure it will be getting negative reviews and then disappointing sales figures :-) Truly, the best is WRITING. When it's just me and the paper/computer screen, everything else fades away.

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    1. Jo Linsdell4 June 2012 at 15:08

      It's true Terri. The hardest part is often the current part.

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