10. When you’re writing in a notebook and start running out of space on the current line, but you have just one more word so you start writing the letters on top of each other so you don’t ‘waste’ a whole other line.
9. Having bits of stories in 10+ notebooks and having to go through all of them when you’re trying to find the one that you need.
8. In summer, when you finally find a good spot to write outside, and one day you show up and someone else is there.
7. When you’re in the middle of a scene and you’re suddenly pulled out because for some reason this song is 10x louder than every other song on your playlist.
6. When you get a kick-ass idea for a story in the shower, so you begin to repeat it to yourself and finish as quickly as possible, then run to the nearest paper and pen and desperately start trying to write down everything you just thought of before you forget it.
5. When you get an idea for a story and try to excuse yourself from the social thing you’re doing, but that is the same exact moment literally everybody must tell you something and no it most definitely can not wait. So you’re only half listening while trying desperately to hold onto the idea that you can feel is starting to slip away.
4. When you’re brain is going too fast for your fingers to keep up with when typing, so you end up missing a bunch of words, or end up with half of one word and half of another smushed together. (Or [in rare cases] end up with 4 different words smushed together into 1 giant nonsensical word)
3. Having to lower your music because you can’t hear your characters talking.
2. Knowing you 100000% wrote this idea down somewhere and not being able to find it even though you went through every notebook and Word document you’ve ever written in your life. Then finding it three days later once you broke down and decided to rewrite it from memory.
1. As soon as you decide to go to bed, your brain is a little shit and begins to think of all the ideas ever.
There’s a lot of things I absolutely love about being a writer. There’s definitely way too many to fit into one singular article – I mean seriously, we’re just that awesome – so today you’ll have to just settle for my top ten. These aren’t really in a particular order, except for #1.
You can do your job from literally anywhere. Desert? No problem. Forest? No worries. As long as you have a pen and paper (or laptop) you’re good.
When you have to fill out a comment card, or are starring at a blank screen, and think you have ‘nothing to say’ – only to realize twenty minutes later you’ve completely filled a page and a half, and are still going. (This is pretty much how I write all my articles, FYI.)
Getting to pull inspiration from music. Whether that be pulling from the songs emotion, or creating a story from a line or favourite lyric, there are pretty much endless story ideas that can be inspired by songs. (And, sometimes, you get more than one story out of one song!)
You can turn anything into a story. Conversations from those around you, random strangers on the street – even inanimate objects can have dark/obscure back stories.
You get to learn a lot of unique things that the average person doesn’t know, and thus are a wealth of obscure information.
Getting to ‘work’ in your pj’s. Seriously, it’s one of the best jobs because there’s no dress code. (Fun fact: I’m writing this in pj’s!)
Non-writers just do not understand how you can work on so many stories at once, and how you manage to keep all the plot lines straight. (It’s just as easy as watching 6 shows at the same time)
Also, they’re always super impressed when they hear your word count. I love talking about my writing to my non-writer friends, because if I say something like, “Oh, I didn’t do very much writing today. Just 500 words.” They almost always reply with, “500?! That’s crazy!” I mean, yeah, they don’t know it’s only 1 page, but 500 words sounds way more impressive. (Kind of like the ‘1 month’ vs ’30 days’ thing. One month sounds a lot longer)
Also, some days you just need that little extra confidence boost, and they never fail to make you feel accomplished.
You’re never actually bored, because you’re constantly thinking about plot lines, characters, your next project, etc. You always have something going on in your head. (Seriously, what do non-writers think about all day?)
You can work through pretty much anything/have a constructive outlet for your emotions. Pissed off something didn’t go your way? Write about it. Got some great news and you’re bursting with sunshine? Go for it! Need to pour out all those intimate feelings you don’t let anyone see? Tell it to the page. The page is always there, and never judges. Some of the most beautiful pieces of work have been born from powerful emotions. (Though, that doesn’t mean you have to ‘be in pain’ to be a good writer!)
We create something out of nothing. All. The. Time!
Seriously, think about it: until you took pen to paper, or your hands to a keyboard, that story didn’t exist anywhere else in the world. You brought that into existence. That’s so freaking cool! We’re like magicians!
