What Nobody Tells You About Becoming a Full-Time Writer

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows

The idea of becoming a full-time writer is exciting.

Many are drawn to it. If only they could find a way to make ends meet.

After my life was upended overnight, I threw myself fully into my writing.

I’ve been enjoying it, but there are also downsides that people don’t consider.

It’s not the easiest way to make a living.

It’s hard

Waking up every day and having to come up with something to write is hard.

Before I started doing this full-time, I thought things would be easier.

Until I was living it, I didn’t know how difficult it would be to write consistently, build a following, and synthesize my thoughts.

I’ve gained so much from investing in my writing, but there are challenges you have to face each day.

It’s not all glamorous

The idea of working for yourself is awesome. And I do enjoy it.

But there are still tough aspects of it.

It’s not just me sitting around as profound ideas pop into my head.

Sometimes, it’s a grind.

There’s the writing, editing, reading, and learning that all go into it.

Many of us dream of working for ourselves.

In practice, it’s still work. Fun, rewarding work. But work nonetheless.

If you don’t write, you won’t get paid. It’s as simple as that.

So, you better keep working at your craft and sharing your ideas with the world.

Nobody will care at the beginning

At the beginning, you’re writing for an audience of 0. That’s alright.

You put one foot in front of the other and try to provide value for your audience.

Eventually, people will come. It won’t happen overnight and you’ll need to be okay with writing for yourself for a while.

Until you’re able to build some traction and generate momentum, nobody will care about what you have to say.

Over time, if you focus on getting your writing out there and are able to improve, people will start to care.

Sometimes, the ideas don’t flow as easily

There are mornings when I wake up and sit down to write.

And nothing comes.

I stare at the blank screen on my laptop thinking about what I should say.

If I sit there long enough looking at the blank page, I will eventually come up with something.

This process isn’t easy. It’s uncomfortable to sit there when you feel like you should be putting words onto paper.

One thing that helps me is forcing myself to write and then not necessarily publishing what I come up with.

If something meets the quality threshold that I set for my work, I’ll share it.

But if not, I keep it to myself.

I love to write. It’s been a great way for me to learn and express myself.

It helps me to reflect on my life and think about what I can share with others.

Before I started writing daily, I didn’t know how many struggles I’d have to face.

While writing isn’t a perfect or easy way to make a living, I’m enjoying the process and will keep at it.

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