10 Popular Myths That You Believe About Writers
You probably think writers are the weirdest set of people to walk the earth. You’re not alone. Many writers have sensed this portrayal and have taken the eccentricity to another level. How do you place a writer who rented an empty castle just because he wanted to write a chapter in his novel?
Let’s leave the extravaganza for later. You have probably wondered the kind of mind writers like JK Rowling, Steven King, and Mark Twain have.
The first sentence in any Harry Potter novel takes you from where you are into a surreal world of wizardry and magic. Before you saw any of the Harry Potter movies, you imagined how Hogwarts is and you tried to estimate the height of Hagrid.
These and many more have created several pictures of how writers are and how their lives would be. As a writer, I have come to realize that many of the popularly held beliefs are simply myths.
Here are 10 of these myths
1. Writing comes easily to writers
If writers don’t find it easy to do, how come Stephen King has written over 200 short stories aside novels and other works?
Stephen King even said in an interview that he writes every day. Well… it is not as easy as it sounds.
Developing a story can take months. Sometimes the inspiration for the story is lost and the writer might abandon the draft. Many times, the idea for a great story hits an author and work is started on it. However, enthusiasm can wane.
What many authors do is to sketch the whole story on small cards. Each chapter is summarized on these cards and they help the writer flow with the story as it goes.
JK Rowling talks about how she has to find time to create magical adventures in the Harry Potter stories:
“Be ruthless about protecting writing days, i.e., do not cave in to endless requests to have “essential” and “long overdue” meetings on those days. The funny thing is that, although writing has been my actual job for several years now, I still seem to have to fight for time in which to do it. Some people do not seem to grasp that I still have to sit down in peace and write the books, apparently believing that they pop up like mushrooms without my connivance.” — J.K. Rowling
2. Most Writers are Rich
Maybe not.
Many writers make as little as 10% on their works. This is not because they are not good, but because publishing deals with big traditional publishers are highly competed for.
It is not news to hear how many times a popular author was turned down in the earlier days. Arianna Huffington, the founder of the Huffington Post, was turned down by 36 publishers when she wanted to publish her second book.
JK Rowling’s original ‘Harry Potter’ pitch was rejected 12 times.
Thus, many who get the opportunity to have their books published by these publishers settle for royalties they can get. They hope several thousands of the book are sold.
This has even led to writers publishing independently. However, with over 6 million books on Amazon, some independently published books never see the light of day.
Writing can be a profitable venture if one works with the right publisher. The writer also has to write consistently. JK Rowling is a billionaire, but she had to write 7 volumes to achieve that.
3. Writers are complete weirdos
Many writers are weirdos, but not all. Though the definition of weird is subjective, we take it to mean something not commonplace.
You may think it is a sign of insanity, but it is not insanity when you hear writers talking to no one. They may stare into space, smile, say a few words, make some dramatic gesticulations, or pace uncontrollably. It’s all in the package.
Many times, writers enter into the scenes they create and engage in the dialogues to bring out something new.
You may hear the keyboard clanking by 2 am or someone moving in the kitchen around that time, it is most likely the writer.
However, all these do not mean writers don’t lead normal lives. They do. Many writers are married and have kids. They socialize, maybe not much, but they step out to say ‘hi’ to the neighbors one or two times a month.
4. Writers are boring nerds
One popular quote in the favor of nerds was mentioned by Bill Gates. He said ‘Be nice to nerds because you may end up working for one.’ Well, in other words.
Asides this quote, there are several reasons why nerds aren’t the most terrible people in the world.
First, not all nerds are boring. Maybe you just can’t relate to them.
Second, most writers are nerds. However, many writers are cool. Cool nerds.
Unless you’re still stuck with your high school definition of being cool, you’d realize that being cool goes beyond leather jackets and the make-believe in hip hop music videos.
Many writers are adventurers who love to have lasting experiences. They want to see different sides of life and you may find them very attentive in a conversation.
Ps. Your story might end up in the development of a fictional character.
5. Writers are not constrained by time
Well, that’s not true. Writers are always faced with stringent deadlines. They have to submit drafts to editors within short deadlines. This is why many consistent writers are seen as reclusive.
Creating a story can require disconnection from everyday activities. Attention must be paid to the story at hand. Building characters may require research. And research requires time.
6. Writers are perfect brainiacs
Writers do a lot of research, so it’s a no brainer why they know a lot of things. However, you should not be surprised when you ask a writer about the spelling of ‘forty’ and there is a surprising silence. Spellings skip writers a lot.
Writers are many times lost in their thoughts. When you interrupt, it takes time to settle into reality.
Writers are brilliant people. But the next time you aren’t sure of a particular spelling, get a dictionary.
7. Writers need inspiration before they write
If you are waiting for inspiration or what you call ‘muse’, you might wait 10 years before you find it. Because many artists are in search of ‘muse’, they may venture into drugs, alcoholism, and certain unsavory lifestyles. On the positive side, some travel in search of the muse.
Pablo Picasso said ‘inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.’
You may need to start drafting that seemingly horrible idea of a story. You never know, the bug of inspiration might bite you while writing it.
The thing about writing is that you’re never certain of how the story will turn out until you’re done writing.
8. Writing is just a hobby
This will be valid if a doctor’s job is also a hobby.
Real writing goes beyond journaling your experience during a vacation in Paris. It takes time, dedication, perseverance, and hard work.
As a writer, you might not see the sun for a week. To meet deadlines, many writers leave their homes to stay in a faraway motel. This is to avoid distractions and focus on the work.
Those bestsellers took months of writing and rewriting, research, and discipline.
9. Writers are depressed or emotionally challenged
Actually, many writers go through emotional struggles. But then, writers are just like everyone else. Everyone has one challenge or the other.
A lot of writers tend to be alcoholics, but a lot of people who aren’t writers also tend to be alcoholics.
You should understand that as much as writers are humans, they fall victim to several life challenges as everyone else.
10. We all want to end up teaching writing in an obscure castle or university
For the castle, you have probably read too many fantasies.
As much as this is the ambition of many writers, it is not true for all. Many writers have been offered teaching roles in ivy leagues, but a lot have turned down the offers.
Many just want to create.
Being able to write well doesn’t mean one can teach well. Teaching is a skill many find difficult to learn. As a writer who pays attention to every detail, you want to carry everyone along, but this is tough as we don’t learn at the same pace.
Maybe some of us will end up teaching creative writing. Maybe some others just want to end up living in New Zealand or backpacking through Europe.
What other popular myths have you discovered about authors? Kindly let me know in the comment section.
