These Are the 15 Hardest Things About Being a Writer

Explaining what you actually do every day.

1. Explaining to people what you actually do every day.

2. Having to sleep/work/be a responsible adult when you’d rather write.

3. Getting the ideas flowing — or stopping the flow, depending on the day.

4. Deciding which ideas are most worth your time and creative energy.

5. Actually writing the stories your brain comes up with.

6. Actually finishing the stories you start.

7. Not giving in to the temptation to delete everything and start over.

8. Starting over.

9. Building a loyal audience over a span of years.

10. Writing the middle of a story. Every. Single. One.

11. Writing the last line.

12. Trying to help friends/family understand your weird schedule.

13. Telling your friends “Yes you can read it when it’s done” but when it’s done they suddenly aren’t interested.

14. Figuring out the pieces of writing advice you can best apply to your writing life.

15. Writing — even when you don’t feel like it. Doing it anyway.


Meg is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. She is a staff writer with The Cheat Sheet, a freelance editor and writer, and a 10-time NaNoWriMo winner. Follow Meg on Twitter for tweets about writing, food and nerdy things.


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4 thoughts on “These Are the 15 Hardest Things About Being a Writer

  1. I really feel number 3 and 15, I’ve been struggling with those recently. It feels as if it’s more annoying than it should be.

    1. Actually, same. But some days you just have to push through … and others, you have to call it quits early and watch Mean Girls instead. Balance is key? :P

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