Wonder-Why-Wednesday: Lazy Writers

I believe I’ll deviate a tad from my humorous posts and address writers or, as the case may be, non-writers. I wonder why so many either write things and don’t submit them or, more likely, don’t write at all. People who ‘think about and consider’ welding aren’t welders, and people who ‘daydream about acting one day’ aren’t actors. So how can you call yourself a writer if you don’t write?

Here are a few of the reasons that I’ve gathered. Some of them I have heard first-hand and others I have deduced logically.

1. You don’t think your stuff is good enough.

Nobody thinks their stuff is good enough. Even Stephen King isn’t sure each time he sits down to pen a new story. Every single thing we write isn’t going to be a home run, but if you put yourself at bat enough times, it’s bound to happen.

2. You write for yourself.

Cool! That’s awesome! But that makes you a person with a hobby, not a writer. A guy who only sings in his car and in the shower isn’t a singer; he’s a guy who likes to sing when nobody’s listening.

3. You are researching for the big novel that’s inside you.

I can’t say enough about research. It is very important if you want to get things right. However, if you are researching for three years and haven’t written a single paragraph, then you are a researcher, not a novelist. Get to writing.

4. I’ve been rejected and it sucks.

So has every best-selling author alive. Even professional chefs spoil a few dinners. Get over it and improve.

5. Life is so busy right now!

Well, I don’t know what to tell you. If writing is important enough to you, you’ll find the time. If it isn’t, you aren’t a writer. You are a mom, a business person, an office manager, a full-time this-or-that, a grandma, etcetera. You are anything but a writer.