HelloOoOo everybody!
Today I'm delivering a much-needed kick in the ass, but I'm doing it because I care. Consider it a love tap! I've been seeing a lot of excuses floating around the writing community and I gotta say, I'm not impressed. Excuses aren't gonna get your book written and delusions of grandeur aren’t gonna promote your platform. It sounds like some of you need a reality check about the industry, and I'm happy to deliver it! I'm breaking down the hard truths of being a writer that'll make your heart sink and your butthole pucker.
Note, that this video–like most of my videos–is not geared toward hobbyists. This is for people who want to make writing a career. Time to slap some sense into you real quick. It'll hurt . . . but in a good way.
This video is sponsored by Skillshare. As always, all opinions are my own.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to also subscribe to my YouTube channel for more writing tips, sarcasm, and of course, more of Princess Butters!
Number 1: People Are Gonna Read Your Writing
The fact that I even need to say this pains me to my core. The point of writing a book is for people to read it. How did you even think you could avoid this? And no, you do not get to wait until publication for someone to finally read your book. I mean, you can, but everyone's gonna think it's shit. You need to have people read your book before it's published. That means beta readers, critique partners, editors, and proofreaders. And guess what? They're going to tell you what you're doing wrong, and it's gonna hurt your feelings. Awww. But this is the only way you're going to write anything of quality, so you might as well accept this now. Put on your thickest skin suit and buckle up, ’cause shit's gonna get messy!
Number 2: This ISN’T the Hardest Job in the World
Any time an author declares that writing is the hardest job in the world, the hellmouth opens up and Satan laughs and laughs and laughs. Yes, writing a book is hard, but you know what's harder? Working in a sweatshop. How about crop picking 14 hours a day, seven days a week, for pennies? Bricklaying during the summer. Caring for people in hospice. Working in retail for minimum wage. There are so many jobs that are harder than writing because writing is a job we choose out of love. Nobody loves laying bricks, I promise.
Yes, we labor over our books, we put in ridiculous hours, we work our asses off, but we do it because we're passionate about the story. That right there is a privilege. Not many people get to do what they love. It's fine to lament the bumps in the road, but a little bit of gratitude will make the hard times a lot easier.
Number 3: Procrastination Isn’t Cute
You know those super relatable procrastination memes? Have you paid attention to who's sharing them? They’re unpublished, aren't they?
“But Jenna, they're just memes! They're supposed to be fun!”
I agree! Unless you're using them as validation to keep being a lazy sack of shit. Whenever I see these memes, they are covered in comments like, “I feel so attacked!” Or, “This meme is about me and I don't like it.” Or even, “I'm literally doing this right now.” Stop dicking around online and write the fucking book.
Number 4: Your Characters Aren’t Real
“But Jenna, they feel real to me!”
Feeling real and being real are two very different things.
“I didn't get my word count in today. It's because my characters weren't behaving!”
That might be writer's block, impostor syndrome, or sheer laziness, but I assure you, your characters didn't do anything . . . because they’re not real.
“I wanted to follow my outline, but my characters refused to stick to it! They had their own story to tell.”
Sounds like you just wrote a crap outline without having a full grasp of your character’s psyche. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but this kind of talk is embarrassing because people can see right through it. I know you think it's quirky and charming, but blaming your imaginary friends for your mistakes stopped being endearing when we were toddlers.
Number 5: Your First Book Will Be Your Worst Book
That doesn't mean it'll be bad. Lots of debuts are fantastic! But it'll probably be your worst, and honestly, that's something you should hope for. Writers grow as they write. They gain knowledge and experience, which means in theory, each book should be better than the last.
Does this always happen? No. But have you noticed what does happen when an author releases a shitty book after a string of awesome ones? They get ridiculed! This is not to say that you should publish a debut knowing it's garbage, but you should be hoping to learn and improve as time goes on, because that's how creation works. Experience breeds education. Aspire toward writing a great debut, then aspire toward writing a second book that tops it.
Number 6: You’re Not Gonna Get a Movie Deal
A fraction of a percent of authors get movie deals, and there are millions of us out there. If this happens to you, then you're the exception. Wonderful! Good for you! But if you are basing your success as an author on getting a movie deal, you are setting yourself up for failure.
“But Jenna, all writers dream of a movie deal!”
I don't! Literally, every author in my circle doesn't. We dream of writing books. That's why we write books. It's totally fine to fantasize about what it would be like to see your book adapted, but I have lost count of the number of writers who have told me, “I won't feel like I've made it until I see my book on the big screen.” Get ready to never feel like you made it, then, because you just gave yourself a nearly impossible goal!
Number 7: You’ll Probably Never Be Famous, Either, and That’s PERFECTLY Fine
You don't need to be famous in order to be successful. There are plenty of authors who are not household names and not New York Times bestselling authors, and yet they are still making six-figure incomes. And you know, being famous ain't that great. Zero privacy, random people approaching you at the grocery store, gossip columns, and press events? Who's got time for that? If you aspire to write quality content as opposed to aspiring to be famous, I guarantee you will be much happier in this line of work and you might even find success along the way.
Number 8: No One Is REQUIRED To Support You
“What kind of bullshit is this? No one is re-blogging my writing prompt!”
Maybe your writing prompt sucks, ever thought of that?
“My parents don't care about my book. They roll their eyes whenever I talk about it.”
That's probably because they wanted you to be an engineer, or a doctor, or pretty much anything other than a person who writes fairy smut.
It sucks when people don't support your dreams, especially when those people are friends or family. But pretty much everyone in every creative field has experienced this. This is not unique to you. It's also not important. You don't need your family to support you in order to become a successful writer. Would it be nice? Absolutely! An ego booster? Definitely! But you don't need it.
And it's not a good look to post content on the Internet, and then complain when no one is supporting it. They're not supporting it ’cause they don't like it, you dummy! Strangers owe you nothing. If you want an audience, then figure out what you're doing wrong and do it better. Instead of wasting time stewing over the lack of support, improve your writing, grow your platform, and release a book or ten.
Number 9: A Lot of Us Don’t Make Money
. . . Which is probably why your family isn’t all that supportive of this decision. I know you're envisioning yourself as JK Rowling or Stephen King, but they are two authors . . . out of millions. Take it down a notch.
But here's a thing to keep in mind that no one ever seems to talk about . . . a lot of writers don't make money because they have absolutely no idea how to promote their work. Just because a lot of writers struggle doesn't mean poverty is guaranteed. It's possible to make a good living as a writer if you grow your business. Just be realistic about the fact that it's going to take a lot of time and a lot of work, and even then, nothing is guaranteed.
Number 10: Yes, Writing Is a Business
“But Jenna, writing is cathartic! It's my self-expression. It's art!”
Writing can be all of those things, but if you create a product and exchange it for money, that's a business. And I hate to break it to you, but plenty of artists are business people. You see, they sell their art for money. Funny how that works!
I know you want to see yourself as a true creator, a maestro of the craft, and mixing business into it would just cheapen the overall effect. But you're a pretentious asshole! It's not selling out to pay your bills, buy groceries, or pay your rent. If you plan to publish or make any kind of income off your books, it's time to drop the creative arrogance. You're a business person, get used to it.
So that's all I've got for you today!
A huge thank you to Skillshare for always supporting me! If you're interested in learning more about the writing industry, or if you want to take my awesome classes, I definitely recommend Skillshare! An annual premium membership to Skillshare is less than $10 bucks a month. However, you can get two months of Skillshare Premium for free by clicking the link below! That's two months of access to thousands of classes, including my classes, for zero dollars! All you have to do is click the link! You'll be glad ya did!
*This post is sponsored by Skillshare. As always, all opinions are my own.
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