What Being a Writer Has Taught Me

1.  That you need be thick-skinned to handle a mind-blowing number of rejections but be thin-skinned enough to be an observant, sensitive, intuitive and honest writer.

2.  Publishers can get away with a lot like promising to pay you and then suddenly disappearing into thin air.

3.  That you need to have an insane amount of faith (comparable to the number of rejections you receive).

4.  That this would be the best and yet the hardest job of my life.  I’m talking 10 hrs a night and weekends.

5.  That you need to be good at everything (marketing, accounting, managing on top of writing, editing and social networking).

6.  That some people (like acquaintances and relatives) think that when you tell them you’re a freelance writer you’re saying, “I’m an alien.”

7.  That you’ll doubt yourself almost every minute of every day.

8.  Some will mock you, criticize your writing and think anyone could do better.  And when I say “some” I mean you.

9.  That you might always fear that you’re not good enough or that you’re not a “real” writer.  Yeah someone will figure you out.

10.  That it can change you.  Not just who you are as a writer or how you write, but transform who you are.  The more stories you create and the more you become observant of what’s going on outside something happens to you on the inside.  This is why I write.  This is why I can go through items 1-9 and still feel grateful and alive.