The Writer’s Life

Most writers I know are driven people. We are always working, even if we don’t have pens in hand or a keyboard under our fingertips. We’re thinking. Plotting. Characterizing. We’re running through “what-if” scenarios. It goes on all the time! (Talk about never leaving work…)

It seems like such a great job: Working our own hours, being flexible. But we knock ourselves out week after week to make our page count goals, then stress over our final deadlines. Once we turn in a completed manuscript, we wonder if the product is good enough. Or if it’ll meet expectations. We worry about covers, print runs, reviews.

Our bosses are really tough – ourselves. We second-guess and rewrite scenes until they meet our own expectations. We wake up at all hours with ideas on how to put the next scene together or why the previous scene didn’t really work the way we thought it should.  Sometimes we’re up at 4 or 5 AM to get our writing done before going to our 9 to 5 jobs, or deal with family responsibilities. Some of us are night owls and write all evening, into the wee hours of the night until the words are out there on the page – or screen.

There aren’t a lot of occupations like ours. Sure, there are other jobs that are just as compelling. My last profession (critical care nursing) was one of them. But storytelling is a calling like no other. It’s an obsession. It can be difficult and stressful. We authors are far more demanding than any boss would ever be, but yet none of us would trade this job for anything. We hope you enjoy what we offer you!

 

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  1. Emmanuelle Said:

    Believe me we do !!!
    Very nice post. You did give me a glimpse of what it is to be a writter :razz:

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  2. RobynDeHart Said:

    I couldn’t have said it better myself, Margo! And considering I just turned in a book after a brutal deadline, I’m so right there in the midst of all of that. I’m trying to take some time off, but wouldn’t you know I’ve got new ideas whispering to me…

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  3. Shana Said:

    I know! I think about my book ALL THE TIME! I will be so glad when it’s done and I can think about something else–but then it’s never really done, is it?

    - Reply
  4. kristan higgins Said:

    It would be so nice if there was an off switch, wouldn’t it, guys?

    My feeling on writing is like that nursery rhyme, to paraphrase: “When it’s good, it’s very, very good, but when it’s bad, it’s horrid.” :wink:

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  5. Emily McKay Said:

    This is so true, Margo!
    I fall asleep thinking about my work in progress and wake up thinking about it. And, honestly, that’s how I like it best. Imagining scenes from my book keeps me from laying awake in bed thinking, “And at the store I have to buy …” “And tomorrow I’ve got to….”
    Instead I just think about my characters. So relaxing.
    Except when it isn’t.

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  6. Sheila Roberts Said:

    That sums it up brilliantly! The only thing I would add is that there is nothing like the thrill of reading something you wrote that actually turned out even better than you remembered and realizing, “Darn, I’m good!” :wink:

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