Being A Writer...?

There are probably a million posts out there with this single title, and we might get sick of hearing what 'being a writer ' means to absolutely everyone. 
Is it any different for me? Probably not. But the single fact still remains that I am certain that most, if not all, writers share one common meaning-- it is the most exhilarating, fun (yet stressful) feeling in the entire world. 


Someone once asked me what I was passionate about, and at the moment, I couldn't give a definite answer for that. But if he should ask that question again, I know exactly what I'd say. Being a writer isn't all about putting words on paper. It's more than that. It evokes feelings and emotions that my mundane mind could never understand, and as I usually tell people, it pulls me into a world that only existed in my mind. 


Being a writer frees my mind and brings me joy, and it pays even more to have a rich community of readers and fellow authors who support one another no matter what. Why? Because they get it. They know what it feels like to love a book so much that people around you think you're crazy. I've had friends who couldn't understand my passion for reading and writing. Most still don't. But what's important is that you remain how you are, and your love never changes. 


Being a writer can also be hell. Don't let the good things fool you. There's writer's block, there's fatigue and an ever-constant nagging question asking, 'Why are you good enough? What makes your story readable?'. And as much as you have this rich community and passion for writing, these factors can pull you down too. But what do you do about it? Just continue writing. 


Some people might tell you to dismiss those thoughts or try to prove yourself wrong. But most of the time, you don't even know the first step in doing so, or you don't know the first thing to tell yourself. So the only thing you do is keep writing. As corny and cliche as it sounds, it is by far the best thing you could've ever done for yourself. 


Then, and only then, you will finish that first draft, and you will experience an unspeakable joy that no one else but you can feel. Because guess what? It's your book. It's your blood, sweat and tears... lots of tears. And having to call yourself an author will be one of the most satisfying feelings you can ever feel. 


So that's just it. That is what being a writer is. 


It's the love for what you do and what others around you won't always understand. It's the hours on end of back pain and digging through your brain to put quality on a paper. It's the tiresome process of editing and discrimination that turns your book into the perfect version of itself. And most of all, it's the beautiful feeling of calling a book yours, seeing your name or pseudonym on it, and sharing it with the entire world. 


I am a writer. Perhaps not the best one in the world, but I am. And I wouldn't change it for a thing.  ​