The Mythical Creature Called 'Writer': Separating the Fact and Fiction

Hello, my lovely readers! How are you all today?

I thought I would take today to discuss some common myths about writers and set the record straight. These are statements that I have heard said about writers that I found to be false. Let's dive in, shall we?

MYTH #1: WRITERS HAVE NO FRIENDS

It is true that many writers are introverts, and therefore often unsocial. There are writers out there who enjoy meeting new people and being surrounded by a crowd of crazy extroverted friends. Most writers don't enjoy that scene--but that doesn't mean we don't have friends at all. A more accurate depiction would be, writers have few friends (but those they do have they would die for).


MYTH #2 WRITERS LIVE ON COFFEE

This is not at all true. I can tell you this because I am a writer and I don't drink coffee.

Most authors do drink excessive amounts of coffee, that much is true. Yet for me, the beverage I need in order to write is tea. I suppose a more accurate way to describe the truth about authors is that we all have a beverage we're addicted to, be it coffee, tea, hot cocoa, wine, etc.


MYTH #3 WRITERS ARE CRAZY

Okay...I can't deny that one.


MYTH #4 ANYONE CAN BE A WRITER

I don't believe this. Anyone can write, sure. Being able to write does not make you a writer. Someone who has never written a book and says wishfully to a writer they know "someday I'm going to write a book"....yeah. Pretty sure you aren't. That's not how this works. Writing isn't telling a story, it's telling that story well. There's a lot of hard work that goes into it, not just wishful thinking, but there is also a good deal of natural ability--in my humble opinion.


MYTH #5 WRITERS ARE DEPRESSED

We're not all sad, miserable creatures who live alone in a cave, okay? Some of us live perfectly happy, healthy lives.

While it is true that some writers are sad, miserable creatures who use writing as a tool to pour out their sad miserable tale, most of us are not that way. We may--and often do--use our life experience to build onto our story and make it real, or as a form of therapy for ourselves when dealing with traumatic issues, but we aren't always miserable.


Basically, people tend to believe--likely due to this being how we are often portrayed in entertainment media--that writers are depressed, lonely individuals who have no friends and live off of coffee. And yet somehow also believe that anyone can be a writer if they only had the time...

If you are considering writing a story, don't let the myths of our lonely existence scare you off. And don't let my insistence than 'anyone can be a writer' is false scare you off either. I don't believe anyone can be a writer, but I do believe that if you are passionate about stories and you are willing to take the time to learn the craft of writing then yes, there is every opportunity for you to become a writer.

And on that note...

Happy Writing, everybody!