Questions Writers Get Asked: What Is The Best — And Worst — Part Of Being A Writer?
I get asked this a lot and I think the best part is that having had all of these stories and worlds and characters in my head, just about forever, committing to being a writer and actually writing them has given me the opportunity to not only share the wonder and delight, but also to connect, through my writing, with people throughout the world. How awesome is that?!
I suspect there is very little that is better, from a writer’s point of view, than when readers write to tell you they enjoy your storytelling and lose themselves — in a good way 😉 — in your fantastic worlds.
The worst part shifts around a reasonable amount, depending on where I am in the writing cycle. But a consistent challenge is that it always takes a long time to see results, through the whole process of completing a novel-length story, getting it to publication, and then for a book or series to find its readers. In short, if you’re an instant gratification personality, novel writing is probably not for you!
For me, the best part of the writing is the actual writing – when it’s going well, and when I’m pleased with what I’m writing. There’s no necessary correlation between that and the quality of what I’ve written – sometimes the stuff that’s been a pain to write turns out much better than the stuff I’ve breezed through – but given the long delay between writing and (if all goes well) publication that you mention, I don’t think I’d keep on writing if the writing itself was never satisfying.
Actually, that is very true, Tim. I, too, love the process of writing itself, regardless–although there is something particularly satisfying when a particular piece “just works” and flows in a quite magical way.
Yes, I think you would need to be very patient to write a novel! Poetry takes time too, but each poem is (usually) a short thing, hopefully to be read several times. All writing is an addiction, I think.
Well, aside for “Paradise Lost”, of course 😉 — but I suspect that really “is” a novel, only told in poetic form. I think the main difference for me is that poetry is easier to set aside and come back to, whereas I find that part of the novel process is just sticking with it in order to have some hope of (one day) reaching “the end.”