There is a lot of misinformation floating around the Internet about what it actually means to be a writer. I know what you’re thinking. Misinformation on the Internet? How could that be? So let’s tackle eight popular myths about what exactly it means to be this “writer” thing anyway. Why eight? Because eight is one of my favorite numbers, the other being seventeen, and who has time for that? So let’s get started.

Myth 1:

Writers write every single day.

The truth: Writers write . . . eventually.

It may surprise you to know that writers are different. We didn’t all drop off some factory conveyor belt with matching pens and notepads and emotional baggage. While there absolutely are writers who write every day and do very well with it, not every writer does, nor do they need to. There are so many facets to being a writer, and everyone’s avenue is different. Some days might be spent marketing or doing book signings or public speaking. Some writers take vacation days. Some writers actually like to write in cycles, where they may sprint hard with writing voraciously for hours a day and then take a month off while they recuperate and focus on other aspects of the business. Many writers have day jobs and other obligations, and some days this nasty little thing called life creeps up on them and they have to call the day a wash. It really depends on what kind of writer you are, but there is no one true path to your destination. But hey, I mean, if someone wants to build a yellow brick road, none of the rest of us would complain about it.

Myth 2:

You should only write what you know.

The truth: You can write whatever you’re passionate about.

If this were really the case, mystery and crime would suddenly be very interesting genres to follow. I’m not sure I’d have too many crime writers as friends, just in case. Fantasy and science fiction would also take a nasty hit. Let’s face it, being a fantasy writer, the closest I’ve ever gotten to performing magic is shouting, “Open Sesame,” while stepping on the activation plate for an automatic door. I mean, it worked, so clearly I’m a powerful witch, but still.

While the #ownvoices movement is huge and gaining traction and there is something absolutely powerful about using your own voice in your fiction if you choose, that doesn’t mean you can’t pull off pretending to be Sharon down the street. You know the one. She’s such a weirdo, but we love her anyway. In reality, you can, and maybe even should, write about anything you feel comfortable writing about. The key is research. Don’t groan. Hear me out.

Say you want to write a book set in a different country. Maybe you can travel there to experience it first-hand, but most people can’t. That doesn’t mean you can’t use it as a setting. You just need to make sure you do a crapton of research to make sure you capture the real setting and culture, and thanks to the wonderful and terrifying age we live in, it’s possible! You can even pull up satellite maps of the place. Or street cams, even, and really up your creeper factor. In the name of research, of course. Reach out in forums and talk to people who live there to learn their speech patterns and slang. Ask if you can run questions by them. You can even make sure that at least some of your beta readers come from that country to see what they think of the believability of your setting.

Don’t write about something without knowing about it. Even if you don’t have first-hand experience, there’s no reason to make silly mistakes about things that are easily found on Google. A little research can go a long way.

Myth 3:

I only have to write the books. The publisher handles the rest.

The truth: Writing the book is only the first half of a writer’s job.

Oh, dear, sit down. No, really. I’m afraid I have some bad news for you, and it might hurt a little. First, congrats on writing your book. Second, you might want to invest in more alcohol, because you’re not done yet. Oh no, not even close. In reality, being a writer means you are now essentially a brand, and you have to sell your brand. Which is you. This means having a presence on social media sites, maybe doing book signings, public functions, interviews, blog tours, maybe even running a blog of your own. You still have to market yourself. If you’re self-published, this goes double, because you won’t have anyone else doing it for you.

So before you sit down with that glass of wine to toast to a job well done, you might want to consider your agenda for getting the word out about your upcoming book and driving sales. You might even want to forego that glass and drink straight from the bottle. It’s all right. I won’t judge.

Myth 4:

If I get stuck, I just have to wait for inspiration to strike.

The truth: If you get struck by anything, go to the hospital, because chances are it wasn’t inspiration.

I hear this time and time again, and it’s sometimes true. I don’t want to say it never happens. Goodness knows I’ve been known to dash, all soapy and sudsy, from the shower long enough to find a notebook before a brilliant idea slips away. The difference is it’s not so much serendipity as I’ve actually taken a quiet moment to think about a problem with my story, and it just so happens that showers are a prime place for that. The truth is that you can be sitting around waiting for inspiration forever, and in the meantime, that book’s not going to write itself (I’ve already asked it, and it politely declined).

The best thing to do, instead, is to actually take the time, find somewhere quiet if you can (even if that’s walking around in the park or in your backyard), and just think. It’s not that inspiration’s finding you. It’s not that good, and frankly, muses are downright lazy. What’s really happening is that you’ve had a moment where you’ve thought over your problems and had time to figure out a solution.

Myth 5:

Anybody can write a book.

The truth: Not everybody can write a good book.

It’s true that anybody can put words in a semi-logical order and cobble together something that vaguely resembles a story. I did it when I was three. It was about frogs eating bubbles and exploding. I’m sure a therapist would have a field day with that one. In reality, though, not everyone will be good at writing. Those who are have generally wanted it and put in the work. They didn’t just wake up one day, awed at the Shakespeareanesque soliloquies that tumbled forth from their lips. Generally, it takes years to hone one’s style, to learn about structure and pacing and character development and all those nasty, nitty-gritty details that make a writer good. And that’s just the planning phase.

We’ve all seen those books. You know, the ones who didn’t spend quite enough time learning how to structure a plot or write believable characters or had twenty spelling mistakes on the first page because the author was sure that hiring an editor was a waste of money. Yes, anyone can write a book, but just because they can doesn’t mean they should.

Myth 6:

Writing is easy.

The truth: Writing well is bloody difficult and time-consuming.

You know what’s easy? Eating bacon. Knocking things over. Falling in love with puppies and kitties. Know what’s not easy? Writing a book. Even a bad book takes effort to write. It’s nothing to sniff at if someone’s accomplished putting 60,000 – 100,000 (or for those intrepid souls, even more) words together in some coherent fashion with a plot and characters. That’s impressive. It’s also not where you stop, because no one writes one draft and washes their hands of it. Oh no. That would be too easy. There are many drafts. The amount differs from writer to writer, but generally, it’s one less than it would take to completely obliterate your soul.

Actually sitting down to write a book is hard. It takes stamina. It takes a lot of determination. You don’t just write a book and, huzzah, the money will pour in. Drafts are involved. So are tears, alcohol, coffee, chocolate, curses, and possibly a prayer or two. Maybe even some bartering of souls.

Myth 7:

You don’t have to be a reader to be a writer.

The truth: You likely won’t be a good writer without being some kind of reader.

I’m not going to say never, because of course there are exceptions to all rules. For the most part, you need to be able to read something to be a good writer. We’re not going to settle for bottom rung, my lovelies. No, no, straight to the top. We want to be good. Anybody can be mediocre. In fact, most people are. In order to be able to write well, you need to both see how it’s done and see how it’s not done. Why do you like certain books and dislike others? What do they do differently? What elements can you carry over into your own lesson? What things can you learn, good or bad, from what writing paths others have taken?

It’s so much more than that, though. There’s also marketability. What tropes are common in the genre that you’re writing? Do you want to play along with the tropes, or will you break them? Breaking things, in general, is frowned upon, but you know what? If you do it for a reason, most people will forgive you. Sometimes. I mean, don’t stroll into museums and smash things, even if you think you have a good reason. Just saying.

It’s also handy if you want to read writing advice books or blogs or articles. Some amount of reading, in some fashion or other, is required in order to improve your writing. Constantly writing in a vacuum will only get you so far, and eventually, you’ll plateau and stop improving. Nobody wants that. Plateaus are puny. Go tackle the Mount Everest of writing.

Myth 8:

I’ll make a well-paying career out of writing.

The truth: Some do. Most don’t.

Don’t go quitting your day job just yet. Yes, there are ways to make a viable living off of writing (and I’d recommend checking out 20Booksto50K if you want more information on how to do that through self-publishing). However, the reality is that most authors are broke or about breaking even once they make writing their primary job. Some writers can never make that switch and end up essentially working two jobs just for the opportunity to write. It’s the sad truth. Odds are, just putting your book or books out there isn’t going to magically net you millions of dollars, although it’d be nice if it did.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try. Just like with everything in life, it’s about perseverance and effort, and if you want to make a career out of writing books, then go for it. In fact, those who succeed at it are the ones who put in the time and effort and really want it. Who knew? Just make sure you’re going in with realistic expectations.

Got any myths about being a writer that you often come across? What’s your ugly truths? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

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Is there something you’ve been struggling with? An aspect of writing you’d like some advice on? Comment below or send me a message to see it discussed in a future post.