Here Are the Bizarre Reasons Why Writers Give Up on Their Dreams

Writing for me has always been a dream ever since I learned that I could string sentences together to tell stories. This dream was something I kept to myself until halfway through my college education when I realized that a degree in biology wasn't going to be the fulfilling career that I wanted. 

After wasting six years of my life working at a tourist shop and selling snowglobes and overpriced t-shirts with lobsters on them, it was a blessing (and a curse) when the pandemic came rolling through and I was forced out of my job. 

When the dust and panic started to settle in my house I made the decision that I was going to go back to school and finally get a degree in Creative Writing and move one step closer to fulfilling my dream. 

I wish I could say from that moment on I never had one of those days where I wanted to quit and I'm not going to lie to you and say that there weren't days when I did quit - at one point deleting an entire manuscript I had written in an act of frustration and feelings of doubt. Thankfully this was saved from the trash folder by my wonderfully supportive partner, but even though I am now living one stage in my dream, I haven't reached the end yet, but I'm going to keep trying. 

I know I'm not alone in the struggle of thinking that someday may be the last day of trying to "make it" as a full-time writer so here is a list of reasons you may be thinking of giving up, and then the reasons on why you shouldn't. 

Fear of Success 

Sure this one sounds a bit strange, but one of the scariest things to some writers can be the thought of hundreds of people reading their work and just the idea of success can scare some writers away from ever letting their work be read and then having to be held to high standards can be overwhelming. 

You can't let the fear of what-ifs stop you, many writers write, publish, and lead successful careers without being put into the spotlight. It's a preference and a choice you can make when it comes to publishing. (Pen names are a wonderful thing.)  

Fear of Criticism 

For some, the thought of receiving negative feedback can be almost crippling, but unfortunately, it's an integral part of a writer's journey. There are two options when receiving criticism - you can ignore it and let it wash off of you and get drowned out by the positive feedback you receive - or the better option is to take in the constructive criticism that you receive and use it to help you improve your craft. 

You can't go back and edit a book once it's out there in the world, but you can learn from the errors that some may find and make the next one even better. 

Perfectionism 

Sure we want our books and our work to be perfect, but just as we've learned when it comes to most things - perfect isn't possible, but you can get as close as you can and hope no one can tell the difference. 

I'm sure if you pick up one of your favorite books and go over it with laser focus you just might be able to find spelling errors or forgotten plot points. Sometimes things get passed us and even passed our editors. It's ok, we're all human and most readers won't notice. 

Imposter Syndrom 

Imposter syndrome is the belief that any success you may have had - isn't truly earned and that one day everyone who loved your work will one day realize that. 

This is unfortunately another thing that many if not all writers go through at one point. This self-doubt about your writing abilities can affect your confidence and even hinder your writing ability. 

Have confidence in yourself, any success you have has been earned by your hard work and yes, you do deserve it. 

Lack of Support 

A constant struggle I faced in my life and one of the biggest reasons that I almost gave up my dream of writing was the censure I was receiving from my family. 

My mother couldn't and still doesn't understand why I would choose a career that could disappear in the blink of an eye and doesn't have the stability of - let's say a long-standing career (like her 50+ years at the post office.) Unfortunately, she's not the only one and I'm often met with resistance from my family such as being asked to complete chores or baby/pet sit since I work from home and make my deadlines.

I handled this lack of support from my family in two ways. 

The first way was to have an open conversation with them about respecting my work the same as if I was working anywhere else. I work set hours every day and for the most part, they respect that unless they urgently need me for something.

The second way was to lean on the support of my partner and others online who were facing a similar scenario within their family and friends. 

Remember that while not everyone will approve of your choices, you are 100% within your right to expect (and demand if you have to) that they respect your choices regardless. 

Unrealistic Expectations 

It can be hard to hear that instant or overnight success doesn't happen to writers the same way it can for others (not that it happens to them either) but it can be difficult in this day and age of social media to see other writes getting book deals, having thousand of sales and reviews, or being able to write and edit their books and publish them seemingly back to back. 

Comparing your work to others can leave you in a negative mindset wondering what they did that you didn't, but social media only shows the limelight, it doesn't show the sleepless nights, the work they put in, or the fact that they might have just been related to someone in the publishing industry. 

Don't compare your success or timeline to anyone else's, we all move at our own pace. 

Life Responsibilities 

Sometimes life just gets in the way for writers. 

Having to work a full-time job, being a caregiver for children or an elder, or just being busy with other things can pressure writers into thinking they need to take a step back from their writing when they should be holding on to it and making time for it when they can. 

Everyone can spare five minutes a day for writing if they're determined enough. 

Write while you eat, or write while you're on the toilet, between phone calls, or even using voice-to-text programs if you can't sit and type or write out anything by hand. 

Where there's a will there's a way and writers have some of the strongest wills out there. 

As long as they don't quit. 

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If you're struggling with anything on this list just remember that each of these problems has its solutions and there is no reason for you to give up on your writing unless the impact is too great on your mental or physical health or wellbeing to sustain. 

But otherwise, go get to writing. 

With love, 

B. King xo xo

Want to write with me live? I'm now on Twitch! Come join me in some writing sprints every Wed-Thurs-Fri-Sat at 10:30 pm EST

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