Your Writing Isn’t the Problem; It’s This Dying Habit

I have my reasons for writing under a pen name.

It’s not because I’m hiding.

It’s because most people don’t really know how to respond when they find out you write.

So I don’t bring it up in conversations anymore.

Not because I don’t love what I do—but because I’ve learned that not everyone knows how to receive it with understanding.

And honestly, I don’t have the energy anymore to explain it over and over again.

The Questions That Always Come

Whenever it does come up, the questions are always the same.

“Who writes anymore in the age of AI?”

“Does it even pay well?”

“So what exactly do you write about?”

Rarely does anyone ask:

What inspired you to start writing?

What does it feel like when your words finally make sense?

Why do you keep doing it even when no one is reading?

Because for most people, writing isn’t seen as a passion.

It’s seen as a hobby that needs justification.

And I’ve learned that no answer I give ever feels “right” to them.

If I say it’s for money, it’s not enough.

If I say it’s for passion, it sounds useless.

If I say it’s for expression, they move on quickly.

So most of the time, I just smile.

And change the subject.

The Safe Topics We Hide Behind

I’ve become very good at pretending.

At laughing at jokes I don’t care about.

At talking about weather, food, plans, anything that doesn’t require explanation.

Because I’ve learned that silence is easier than misunderstanding.

And in social spaces, there are always “safe topics.”

Writing, strangely, is not one of them.

When Your Friends Don’t Read

What makes it harder is this:

Most of the people around me don’t read.

Not really.

Some don’t read beyond textbooks or news headlines.

Others haven’t touched a story in years.

So when I talk about writing, it feels like speaking a language no one wants to learn.

I once shared a book with a friend—Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri.

She had told me she wanted to build a reading habit, especially to help her kids in the future.

I thought this would be a good start.

But after a few pages, she said:

“I can’t keep my eyes open.”

And I remember just nodding.

Not because I was angry.

But because I finally understood something important:

Not everyone connects with stories the way writers do.

The Quiet Loneliness of Writing

People imagine writing as romantic.

A quiet desk. A warm cup of coffee. Words flowing effortlessly.

But the reality is different.

Most of the time, it’s:

staring at a blank page

deleting more than you write

questioning if your words matter

writing things no one will ever read

And still coming back the next day.

Because writing is not always about being understood.

Sometimes, it’s about being honest with yourself.

Why I Still Write

Even when people don’t get it.

Even when it feels invisible.

Even when no one asks the right questions.

I still write.

Because somewhere between silence and expression, I found something I couldn’t let go of.

A way to understand my thoughts.

A way to survive them.

A way to turn confusion into clarity.

Writing became less about being seen…

And more about seeing myself clearly.

The Misunderstanding

I’ve realized something over time.

Most people don’t reject writing.

They just don’t understand its weight.

To them, it’s just words.

To a writer, it’s emotion, memory, pain, imagination, and truth—all stitched together.

And when you see it that way, it stops being a hobby.

It becomes a part of how you exist.

So I Stay Quiet

I don’t explain it much anymore.

Not because I don’t care.

But because I’ve learned that not every passion needs validation.

Some things are meant to be lived, not justified.

So I write under a name that isn’t always spoken.

I write in silence.

I write when no one is asking.

And maybe that’s enough.

Final Thought

Not everyone will understand what it means to write.

And that’s okay.

Because writing was never meant to be understood by everyone.

It was meant to be true to the one holding the pen.

And for now, that’s me.