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There are also really flowery quotes about how wonderful writing is, and then you see media portrayals of the struggling—but brilliant!—writer who becomes a bestseller, and then you hear about a teen getting a publishing contract for about a bajillion dollars and the whole writing thing can sound like a pretty sweet deal.
These writers, man. They’re special. They feed on words and bathe in advances. They are living the dream.
And I mean, some of us are, I suppose. Some days I kind of am. But sometimes the dream staring at the screen for hours when you’re supposed to be writing and not actually writing a word, or looking at a mountain of revision notes and panicking about how you’ll ever manage it, or realizing you’re going to need way more than one book deal to even think about supporting yourself off your author wages, or not being able to write for months and starting to wonder if you’re really a writer after all. If you’ve lost your magic.
The truth is, I don’t like romanticizing the process because it doesn’t do anyone justice. Because if we pretend those hard days, weeks, months, years, even, didn’t happen then suddenly a writer’s success isn’t perceived as earned—it starts to look like it’s been given. Because if we pretend writing is something that comes naturally and can’t not be done then on the days where the writing is really hard, you might start to wonder if you’re really a writer at all.
I’m not into pretending writing is always amazing, and wonderful, and rainbows, and sugar. I’m not into ignoring the days where the writing is tough and I’m not sure what I’m doing and the pressure feels like almost too much. I’m not into overlooking the days where I’m exhausted from school but still have manuscripts to edit or vlogs to post or blog posts to write.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my pub jobs and I’m so grateful to be working in a field that I love. But I think being transparent about the realities of the publishing and writing life is important, both to encourage each other and to get through the not-so sunny days.
What do you think? Do you tire of the romanticization of writers?
Twitter-sized bites:
Writer @Ava_Jae says, "I’m not into pretending writing is always amazing..." What do you think? (Click to tweet)
On the romanticization of writers, and why one writer is tired of it. (Click to tweet)
23 comments:
I've been awake for twenty something hours trying to finish a stubborn first draft while worrying about revisions of another MS.
There ain't nothing romantic about this >.>
But I'll always love it. Even when it hurts.
I absolutely agree. It's nice to pretend to this dreamy picture, but the fact is it truly is a labour of love. Every writer spends years perfecting their craft, and it's not an easy task. Amazing post, Ava!
At least it's not just me! I wrote a book that I thought was done, queried and got no bites, then took some time off from it, and now I can finally see what the issues are. Currently revising. People don't understand why I don't just "self-publish it as it is". Because I don't just want to publish a book, I want to publish a good book!
Exactly! :)
I guess when I read this I think of Disney's The Princess Diaries, about the romanticization of another job.
"I've been thinking about it a great deal and
the truth is I think you'd make a very fine
princess. You know, people think princesses
are supposed to wear tiaras, marry the
prince, always look pretty and live happily
ever after, but it's so much more than that.
It's a real job."
And I feel like the same could be said of writers. "I've been thinking about it a great deal and the truth is I think you'd make a very fine princess. You know, people think writers are supposed to get book details, sell movie rights, always have ideas and live happily in fantasy worlds, but it's so much more than that. It's a real job."
Every job has its ups and downs, and we have to recognize that while there are some perks to being a writer, it takes a lot of work. Romanticizing writing almost makes it sound like writers don't work, and that's not fair to them at all.
For a second there I forgot where you worked and thought you worked at a real pub! xD
This is a post that I wish I had seen when I was younger! I had this idea that my writing was supposed to be perfect all the time, and when it wasn't, I would get frustrated and stop writing.
Thankfully, I kept studying and writing and now I'm much more confident! :D
I agree! I'll always love it too. :) Totally worth every gross day. Just good to acknowledge that the gross days do indeed exist.
You know, I remember that movie but I haven't seen it in ages and I totally forgot about that quote—but it completely applies! Great analogy, Heather. And I also agree that it's not fair to writers—a lot of people don't realize how much hard work goes into writing a book!
Err...I do work for a real pub? lol
I'm glad to hear that, though! Misrepresentation of what the writing life is really like can be really discouraging for writers because when it gets tough, it can start to feel like you're the only one. But that's not even close to true! And I'm glad you've come to see that. :)
I love your honesty here, Ava. I've been feeling this way for a while as I see different posts on Twitter about writing through the tough days, and it's shaken my confidence more than once. This post was so refreshing--thank you!!!
You're so welcome, Sarah! That's a good example of why I think it's so important to be open about the whole process, including the emotional ups and downs. It can be easy to feel alone, otherwise!
Agreed <3 Anything we can do to make our writing journeys less isolating is so important!
This! Yes. Totally yes. :)
Well said. The more authentic writers are about their process, the more we include aspiring writers in our futures.
Great post, Ava! So true! It's easy for the focus to be on easy success (we do that in the US in all things, actually -- who doesn't love the underdog sports team that pulls off the Big Win?) and other romantic aspects of writing because the process itself, really, is pretty dull. Would you pay to watch a writer write? Me neither. The process is so interior, so hard to see from the outside that the only thing outsiders can focus on is the exterior evidence -- contracts, money, movie rights, etc. etc.... rather than the hard work that leads up to it. Don't you think?
Thanks, Jeff! I definitely agree.
I do think so, yes. Writing is an extremely internal process (and you're right—not all that interesting to watch lol), though I've also noticed people prefer to focus on the exterior evidence mostly when it's something really anomalous and huge (i.e.: a six-figure deal, a movie deal, etc.). Which isn't surprising, but it's reality.
I get your frustration, and have occasionally felt irked by famous people getting book deals for being famous...but on the other hand, that happens because the publisher knows they'll sell well. And books that sell well are good news for everyone, so I try not to let it bother me anymore.
But I do think it's important to acknowledge the large majority of writers who don't fit into the instabestseller category, as well as acknowledging the hard work that went into so-called "overnight successes."
On one hand, I'm kind of amused by the mystic clouds which surround writers from the perspective of non-writers. We're performing alchemy or magic or some kind of voodoo ritual over here and they don't get it at all. On the other hand, most writers know that while occasionally something might come to you "from the ether" and drive you like a runaway stagecoach, it's a lot of effort, a lot of nose to the grindstone, and a lot of mental weight lifting which can wring you out just as surely as running a mile.
I agree. I've been saying for a while writing is the thing that gives me the most joy and the most stress. I love it so much. I love the process of creating worlds and characters and being surprised when something happens I didn't expect, but there are also days where I really really don't want to write or I feel intimidated by the amount of work I need to do or I worry how I'm going to support myself with this sort of career. In the end it's worth it, because I believe this is what I'm called to do, but it is no where near an easy task.
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For sure! I think I'm a little tired of the mystic clouds, if only because they give people the way wrong impression that usually leads to assuming writing is much easier than it is. But I think you're right that most writers (at least, most who are involved online) know it's a lot more work than Hollywood would have us believe.
Oh, I totally identify with the most joy/most stress thing. It definitely is a stressful career to pursue, particularly given that even after you finally get published, which is a huge challenge in itself, supporting yourself is an entirely separate challenge that often requires several published books. Not easy, but if this is the path for you, then the struggle is worth it. :)
Indeed!
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