Every writer has his or her moments; times of joy when your article goes viral, your book becomes a best seller or you land that writing contract, times of depression when your writing doesn’t seem to be paying you so much and times of confusion when you just don’t know what to do with your writing career anymore.
As writers, we go through so many emotions and today’s post is dedicated to talking about all these emotions and how to deal with them;
Envy
You probably would not like to admit that you have at one point or the other been envious of another writer’s abilities, articles or success. You were envious not because you don’t wish them well, but because you wonder why your career isn’t going so well or why nobody loves your article as much as theirs.
It is not so wrong to feel this way but you need to be careful not to let that emotion remain for so long. You can admire another writer’s work but never allow envy to set in. Once you notice that you are getting envious, caution yourself. This is not a competition. Remember, there is something special about your writing too. If you love the other writer’s style so much then work on yours.
Rejection
Writers have a tendency to feel rejected. Your article will not always be loved by your readers. Your manuscripts will not always be accepted by publishers. Get used to it and don’t allow it get to you. Rejection is part of your journey; it is not the end of the journey.
Whenever your work is rejected, go over the comments you get (if you get any) and find out why it was rejected. Above all, don’t let rejection discourage you from writing.
Confusion
Sometimes writers do not know what the next step in their career is. You may have questions like should I take this new job? Should I start freelance? Should I close my blog? Again this is not unusual. If you have too many unanswered questions get help. Ask other writers or join writing groups. Sometimes a problem shared just gets the right solutions.
Depression
There’s nothing worse than investing so much in your career and getting so little out of it in return. If you are not making money and writing is your primary source of income there is a tendency to get depressed and feel like giving up.
The first thing to remember is that you are not alone. So many other writers have gone through this same phase. Don’t allow your mind make you feel like this problem is peculiar to you.
If you feel writing is not paying you, you can consider talking to a writing coach, someone who can guide you and help you make the right decisions especially in the business of writing.