Making Writing Fun is a Job in Itself

Let’s make writing fun again. I’m sure some of you are having a blast—and I’m happy for you. But like so much in life these days, persevering in the writing biz feels like a grim slog far too often.

It’s like we’re collectively gritting our teeth to make it through another day where we feed the relentless social media beast, dig deep to find something new to say on our blogs, and try to overlook the burnout we’re experiencing with our latest revisions. It’s not any one thing; it’s all of the things, combined.

We always knew writing would be hard work. But does it have to feel so much like, well, work? Not just work, but a never-ending series of grueling tasks…We’re riding hamster wheels and it’s exhausting.

I’ve spent countless hours over the past week developing three talks for an upcoming writers’ conference. I am indeed thrilled to have been invited to deliver these talks: There is definitely joy here, for me.

But I’m acutely aware of how these talks are all circling the drain in the sense that they address some of the downsides of being or becoming a writer. For example, I’ll be offering writers some reality checks on the search for an agent; it’s a tough business that’s getting tougher. And no amount of query-letter polishing is going to get the job done for you.

That’s one of my messages; not exactly rainbows and lollipops.

I’m also going to talk about what’s involved in building a long-term writing career. Writing ain’t free; not really. You need a budget, a willingness to invest in tools of the trade, a commitment to studying your craft, loads of patience, and the faith to take yourself seriously, even if you have “nothing” to show for it for a long time.

That message, too, is fairly sobering.

And finally, I’ll be helping writers to recognize and avoid mistakes. In life, we all make mistakes; it’s partly how we learn and mature. But there are loads of mistakes that can also be avoided, especially with respect to craft, mindset, and brand-building. I’ll do my best to turn this talk into a positive exploration of what writers can do, not simply what they should avoid doing.

But this topic isn’t exactly rah-rah; being a writer is filled with emotional, logistical, legal, and financial landmines. We cannot expect to avoid them all.

So, recognizing that this is a hard field to be in, I came up with some “flip the script” ideas for when negativity is getting the better of us. It’s by no means a comprehensive list. In fact, I bet you could add to it right now (and feel free to do so in comments).

Here goes:

Feel better now? I hope so!

My new novel TENT CITY, is getting some amazing early reviews!

“Bernstein writes with compassion and empathy while unflinchingly facing hard truths. Tent City is a cautionary tale about the uncertainty of our collective future and the choices we make today.” –Liisa Kovala, Like Water for Weary Souls

If you haven’t read WRANGLING THE DOUBT MONSTER: FIGHTING FEARS, FINDING INSPIRATION, you’re missing out on a book that writers tell me they keep on their bedside table! For real!