7 Things To Never Say To A Full Time Writer
By: Whitney Foster
Tags: Freelancing, Tech, Writing, Business, Freelance Writing

Don’t. Just don’t do this.

I get it, having someone say they’re a writer isn’t something you hear everyday. But give some thought before you say some things.

I’ve been a writer for, I don’t know how long, probably as long as I could write. I remember the first book I put together was a concept I copied from Sesame Street called “Whitney’s Looking At Numbers.” It’s funny to think of now, but I was probably six at the time. I colored the pages, stapled it like a book…everything. That is the moment my writing career began.

I’ve taken it seriously. I went to a specialized arts high school where I was able hone my writing skills. I graduated with an English degree concentrating in creative writing. When I tell people that I’m a writer, I get this impressed reaction, something I’ve never really understood. It seems that people really do have a high respect for writers. Sometimes, though, I get some strange comments.

I’m not saying that if you say these things, I’m automatically offended. It’s a matter of how it’s said. When I was younger, it seems that most of these things bothered me more than they do now. Probably because I’m older and I know what to expect. I just had someone tell me the other day that my being a writer actually inspired them to write, so yeah, it’s a complement.

So, without further ado, here are the five things you should never say to a full time writer.

I should try to write a story one day.

While I know a lot of people do think about writing novels and screenplays, it’s not as simple as waking up and saying “I think I’ll write a book today.”

To write a story of publishing quality, one needs to plan, have it make sense, and go through rejection after rejection. Many writers were rejected for years before getting published, including your favorite writer. Just google it. It’s common knowledge.

2) Yeah, but how do you make money?

This demeans the writing career. We’re not all “starving artists”. There are many writing fields that are lucrative such as technical writing, copywriting, and forms of business writing such as white papers and case studies.

Alternative: How much money do you make?

How much money do you make? Seriously though, I don’t ask people that question. It’s just rude. Call me old-fashioned…

3) You must be a hermit, really lonely, depressed etc.

Okay, so we’ve heard the stories of writers such as Sylvia Plath who committed suicide, or Emily Dickinson who was so shy she hardly left her house. But come on. There are depressed, shy, and lonely people in any profession, even Hollywood.

Being a writer does involve a lot of independent work, but nowadays we have to communicate with editors, collaborate with those in other fields such as design, interview people for articles and case studies. Don’t forget, we’re constantly marketing our services. Communication skills are a big part of being a successful writer.

4) You need something to fall back on.

That is not entirely untrue, but not in the way the speaker thinks. Yes, your odds of making a decent living as a fiction writer are slim. The majority of us will never be the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. A hard pill to swallow, but it’s true. However, you can make a decent living as a writer. You just need the skills in different areas.

I mentioned before that writers collaborate a lot. If she knows how to do some of these things herself, for instance, I’m taking classes in graphic design and web development, you expand your employment opportunities. Plus you have more topics to share your expertise on.

5) Let me read it.

Whenever I say I’m working on a story or whatever, I get something like this. Writing is an art, like painting. We all work differently. I know that whatever I’m working on, I don’t like people to see it before it’s perfected, which can take months. Even years. Let me invite you to read it. In the meantime, stay out of my creative process.

6) I want you to read my story and tell me what you think.

I can’t believe I’ve actually been asked this. I’m absolutely flattered you think I’m an expert, but my opinion means nothing. I’d actually rather not be placed in the position of reading something I might hate and then having to lie about it because I don’t want to hurt your feelings.

If you really want someone to critique your writing, join a writers group. They’re everywhere. You’ll get honest opinions from neutral people who have no relationship to lose.

7) So, what do you do?

Didn’t I just say I’m a writer? Why do you want to dissect my day? I do a lot of things. I write (duh), I edit, I pitch, I nap…the list goes on. (Hey, there are some perks to freelancing.) It’s really hard to sum up exactly what I do in a day because each day is different. Lots of us are jack-of-all-trades.

Each day I write something different. Sometimes I work on blog posts, or poetry if I’m feeling mellow, or a novel if I’m feeling creative. Sometimes I have deadlines and I’ll prioritize one assignment over the other. It depends on the day. I can’t describe a typical day because there is no typical day.