Writing Is Fun, Except When It Isn’t
I see lots of writing “how-to” titles in book stores — guides on how to write better, how to write faster, how to find the time to write, how to gather the courage to write, how to make money writing, and so on. But there’s one subject that I’ve never seen anyone write about, and that’s how to enjoy writing.
Don’t be silly, you say. One naturally assumes that if you’ve set out to write something, then you must enjoy writing. Yes?
Not necessarily. You may be pressed into a writing assignment you have no desire to fool with, but the need exists, the deadline is established, and your colleagues have found some way of magically excusing themselves from the job. Non-writers in particular hate being being saddled with a writing assignment, and that’s completely understandable. But what about those of us who actually choose to take on writing projects? Obviously we live for the thrill of sitting at our desks, tapping the keys for hours one end, day in and day out, with the occasional extra excitement of staring at the wall and wondering what in the world comes next.
Yeah.
Sometimes writing is fun, or at least painless. I sit down, relax for a moment, writing comes out, and before I know it the workday is over and I have a completed draft, ready for submission. I like it when that happens. But there are plenty of assignments where I’m pushing my way through quicksand, one 2-ton foot at a time, wishing I were anywhere else, doing anything else in the world. Sometimes just getting started, just going to the desk and turning the computer on, feels like a long march to the gallows. I just know there can’t be anything good awaiting me at the end of that road. Oh, and the weather outside looks awfully nice today….
How could a professional writer possibly feel that way about his chosen profession? Well, for starters, writing is hard. Even for a pro, the responsibility of writing to a certain standard, every time and on a deadline, can challenge the self-confidence and cause “stage fright” in the form of writer’s block. Also, anyone who does the same thing every single day is likely to get a little restless now and again. Even when I’m writing on a wide range of subjects from one day to the next, the routine is the same. Sit down. Think. Write. Review. Write some more. Review. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. And then there are just some days that aren’t writer-friendly — maybe you’re sick, or tired, or worried about other things.
When you’re a professional, though, none of that matters. Writing is a job. If you work a standard 9 to 5 job, you’re expected to show up on time, do what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it, and continue to behave that way on a daily basis, or you won’t have that job very long. Same with writing. If I expect to earn any money, I’d better gain a reputation as a reliable professional who produces quality material on schedule. I’ve written through injuries, influenza, and even a migraine that made it all but impossible to read what I was writing. Why? Because that’s what I’m paid to do.
Beyond economic necessity, though, why does a writer write? There are as many correct answers to that question as there are individual people. Some writers simply enjoy “having written” — the final accomplishment justifies what for them is an unpleasant or tedious process. Others genuinely do live to ride that creative train, enjoying the moment-by-moment transformation of nothing into something. And some of us, believe it or not, have no idea why we write. It’s just something we’ve always done, like eating or breathing. There’s no “because” to it at all. We write because we can’t help it.
I guess I can see now why there’s no book on how to enjoy writing. Either you do or you don’t. The main thing is to do it well — or hire someone who can.
