Writing is work, not a whim

Has anyone else ever given you 'that' look when you say you're a writer?

It's the look that simultaneously questions your grasp on reality while accusing you of harbouring caffeine and daytime television addictions.

Now think of someone doing his or her job. What is he doing? Making a product? Working in a business? She works regular hours. He might be studying at night to boost his qualifications. She might be attending a breakfast meeting, or an industry conference on the weekend. Are they working hard?

Group works

A writers’ group or professional organisation can help develop confidence

Writing can be an isolating endeavour. It’s rarely collaborative – at least in the early stages, when you’re drawing out ideas into coherent stories. Time dissolves as you struggle over phrases, finding the right words. Characters sometimes behave, sometimes they don’t; and manuscripts can be put to one side, at least for a while, until you figure out what to do with that collection of letters on the page. But when you’re in the midst of it – when the story flows, the characters work and the setting is engaging to create – you can disappear into the pages. Nothing outside the room matters, time is irrelevant. Food, drink and sleep are no longer required. You’re alone but not lonely, as you live in the world you create.