Being a writer eats up a lot of time. There’s growing your platform, marketing your books, reading about writing, and interacting with other writers online and off.
Not to mention the actual writing itself. And outlining, research, revision, editing, and getting ready to publish.
One could spend endless hours each day working on these things and still not feel done.
What’s even worse is when you realize the entire day has passed you by, and you didn’t even get to the writing part. Now that’s bad. I should know.
If writing takes up so much of our time, we should analyze if it’s really worth it.
Take a step back and think about what writing is costing you.
And what you’re getting in return.
Let’s look at what writing can cost you:
- extra time for school work
- time for relaxation
- reading time
- time with family
- sleep
- time for other hobbies
- money earned on a job
- time with friends
- time for exercise
This list boils down to time and money.
Writing Costs Time
How many hours a day do you spend on writing or writing-related tasks? How about per week? Are you spending that time wisely?
You shouldn’t spend more than an hour, maybe two, on social media and blogging each day. Or half of that at the most if you’re not a full-time writer.
Focus on spending more time on the writing process than writing-related tasks. Try a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio.
Remember that time is a precious thing. You will never, ever get it back.
Writing Costs Money
How much money is writing costing you?
Here in Georgia, minimum wage is $7.25/hour. Multiply the hours you spend writing each week by that number and that’s a potential paycheck you’re missing out on. Now multiply that by 50 (two weeks vacation), and that’s yearly income you’re not bringing in.
(Writing is costing me over $7,600 a year.)
Is writing still worth it to you?
If your answer is no, then stop wasting your time. Instead, spend time with your family, go to school, get enough sleep, or work on your current career.
If your answer is yes, then take your writing seriously. Act like a professional. Treat it like a job. Get somewhere with it.
At the end of every day, ask yourself: What did I get in return from writing today?
Did you progress on your WIP? Did you finish that outline? Did you look into self-publishing options like you were supposed to? Did you land that guest post? Or did you waste the day on social media?
It’s time to analyze your own life and grasp what writing is costing you. Don’t make sacrifices in vain. That’s not worth it.
What do you think? Are the costs of writing worth it to you? What do you do to ensure you spend your time wisely?
Amen to this post! It’s a passion for me, and I take it very seriously. Others should follow suit or do what you suggested (rest, family time, etc).
Exactly. I think it’s a huge waste of time and hurts both the writer and the writer’s family/friends/work if the writer doesn’t make a commitment either way.
Both sides are very important but also make them a priority. If you’re going to spend any time on writing, you should take it seriously. Get some results.
That’s my take anyway
Thanks for stopping by, Amber!
This is a great post. I’m happy to say that I’m totally committed to being a writer, and that I already appreciate just how much it’s costing me, both fiscally and in terms of my life. I keep track of money I spend on entering competitions, books, visiting things for my writing – and it drastically reduces my time for doing anything else besides writing.
I work a full time job, which means writing has to get done before work, on lunchbreaks, or when I get home. I keep a notebook on my desk and scribble down ideas when they come so I can work on them later. I also run a short story showcase for unpublished writers which means a lot of my time dedicated to editing and giving feedback, and I’m trying to be much more active on social media to promote my writing.
And though I’m exhausted a lot of the time, and though I sometimes get sick of writing (it’s what I do for a job too), I force myself to do it, because nobody else will. I know that I can’t not do this.
Having full-time commitments other than writing can make it hard to fit in writing and enjoy it all the time. I agree!
Sometimes I wonder how much easier my life would be if I just gave it up. But sooner or later, I’d come back to it. And this is something I really want (like you). Like you say, “I know that I can’t not do this.”
I think sometimes the more you have to sacrifice for writing, the more you come to appreciate it! Keep it up!
Why spend so much time on social media, unless you’re getting paid for it? If writing is what you want to do, then concentrate on that. Get something publishable written and then tell people about it.
That’s pretty much been my focus lately, actually. Hoping to write a post on that soon.