Last week, one of our lovely Scribble Chicks readers, Tonya, posed the following question:Did you ever feel silly about wanting to be a writer and telling people you want to be a writer when it seems like everyone wants to be a writer..it almost sounds cliche! Did you ever feel self-conscious and insecure to tell people your dreams?
Ok, Tonya, here goes nothing...
Back in my hometown of Ladysmith, Wis., nobody ever said "hey, I want to become a writer" because it simply wasn't practical like, say, working at the local lumber yard. But since I was the kid who always came home from the library with a pile of books and a million ideas for my own, I don't think it actual surprised my Mom too much when I said I wanted to study journalism in college—even if she preferred that I'd major in education.
All she really wanted to know was if a writing career came with dental. And even though I wasn't quite sure, I assured her that it did. So case closed.
For whatever reason, I never really cared if people got my passion for writing. Yeah, in movies it's definitely a cliché when yet another character wants to become a writer, but in my hometown, I may as well have told everyone I was joining the circus. Chances are, it would've gotten a similar reaction.
I guess I say all of that because if you're a writer, you just know it. No matter how hard you try, you simply have to do it, whether people understand why or not. Will it take hard work and commitment and a whole lot of prayer to succeed? Absolutely. I mean, a quick peek at recent stats, not to mention how many out-of-work writers there are is staggering. But if you continue to work at your craft, network with others in the biz and create the best possible stories you can, all the details will work themselves out—even if your loved ones have their suspicions.
And as someone who's been writing professionally for more than 10 years now (whew!), I can attest that being a writer is really the best career ever. While it definitely has its challenging days like anything else, sometimes it barely feels like work. So basically, GO FOR IT, girl. You won't regret it.
Great Answer Christa! It's kindof like being a race horse we have to put our blinders on and run with it :)
ReplyDeleteTotally!!! :)
ReplyDeleteGo for it, indeed! I'm sure Noah had quite a few funny looks and worse when he was told to build the ark. =) If God is prompting you to write, then you must write. Its really about obedience and faith in the midst of peer pressure. You can do it! And when you get tired of the eye rolls and snorts, just come on back here to Scribble Chicks and let us encourage you =)
ReplyDeleteMany people I know want to be a writer. The interesting thing is, though, they usually want to write about themselves.
ReplyDeleteI always tell them that they are writing their biography, and they'll get to read it in heaven. We'll each have our own little book about how we lived our lives that can never be altered.
alisa hope
Thanks for this encouraging post, Christa! It was perfect for what I'm going through right now as a writer :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to hear that Mia...happy writing to ya this week. :)
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