Writing Online Can Make You Happy, but It Will Probably Make You as Sour as a Lemon

Writing online is bloody hard, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

There's a lot of information telling you how easy it is to make money online, saying how writing can change your life. It can drastically change your life, true. But it doesn't necessarily mean it's changed for the better.

But very seldom do these articles mention the amount of effort that goes into learning how to write, how much time and energy you have to spend. These articles seem to miss some critical points regarding the work you have to put in to make a few measly cents, let alone a living wage.

Combine all of this with the constant stress of rejection. It ain't pretty out there folks.

The point is they often neglect to mention some of the negatives to writing. So here's a few of them;

Spending time

Writing takes up a lot of time. And I mean a lot. You could be the fastest writer in the world, but I am seriously growing tired of the articles "teaching" you how to write 150 articles a day. Unless you live in front of your computer, I don't see this happening. This advice is coming from someone whose primary income is writing. They do nothing else except write; of course, they can write, edit and publish 4+ articles a day. This is a lot of work.

You can't do that, sorry to say it.

You work full time, probably have a family and kids and other responsibilities. You lack the free time required. And if you do have the time, it's unlikely you have the energy.

Consuming energy

Don't you love waking up at 5am to get on the grind? Oh wait, you don't? Online gurus will tell you you're going to fail then. If you do try it, I'd love to know how long this lasts.

Do you think you'll be motivated to wake up at 5am on a Saturday after a whole weeks worth of work? How about when you see your stats dropping through the floor. No amount of coffee will help you get motivated to write every single fucking day when you have zero energy left. Writing every day is bloody tiring; you force yourself into a creative zone and become frustrated when you cant instantly write your next viral article (which I still haven't managed). You need to be realistic; how much free time do you have. When this free time comes around, will you have the energy to write?

Maybe you will have the energy to write, but perhaps you've lost motivation when your piece gets rejected from a publication.

Rejection hurts

No matter how long you've been writing, rejection will still hurt. It is part of the process. Unfortunately, you will never get used to it. Writing gurus make you believe their article will magically elevate you to god level; once you read this piece, your work gets accepted 100% of the time.

Nope, realise your work will get rejected no matter what. It will hurt over and over. You will question why the hell you're even bothering with writing, what exactly was wrong with the piece. There was zero feedback, just a little note; "We're going to pass on this one". This hurts even more, you become sour; you have no idea what exactly was wrong with the article. Regardless you must persevere and keep writing and improving. If you can't take the rejection, then maybe it's time to find another hobby.

The light at the end of the tunnel

At the end of the day, you are a writer. You write words every single day, emails, texts. Every time you have a conversation, you are sculpting and creating stories. These are methods of combining words to convey a message.

By writing, you learn to hone your skills and increase the message you send. You can become a wordsmith who crafts beautiful pieces of art. Yes, writing can change your life for the better.

Just be prepared to have no time, be tired, unmotivated and hurt. It definitely won't be the life you're being sold, but it will be better. You will feel a sense of accomplishment every time you finish a piece. You press the publish button and release a little bit of your soul out into the world. It is a beautiful process; being creative is an incredibly wholesome experience.

Concentrate on making yourself a better writer; concentrate on making your life a touch better. But please don't kill yourself in the process. Enjoy the learning experience; every time you write, you become 1% better. Aim for this slow progression; it is not an overnight success story. Neither is it the get rich scheme you're being sold.

But trust me, it sure as hell can make you happier in the process. Trust me, there is a light at the end of the tunnel; just keep typing away; this tunnel is bloody long.