Many writers consider their writing to be a hobby. They may be working full time or full-time mothers or fathers having a hard time writing more than a couple of hours a week. And for many writers, time is really at a premium. They can’t afford to write more than a few hours a week because of all of their other commitments.
If you are one of these writers, take note. First of all, I feel for you. For many years, I had a full-time job and tried to get some writing done in between times. I always DID do my writing, despite the fact that I taught three university courses per semester with sometimes upwards of 500 students all together and had to take workshops and courses as I was trying to complete my post-graduate degrees in Philosophy and Psychology. But here is the kicker: I NEVER treated my writing as a hobby, even when I couldn’t devote 20 hours a week to my writing. I just always worked writing into my schedule, regardless of how packed it was.
What I am trying to get at is that when you treat your writing as a hobby, you are setting yourself up for a lack of productivity. Also, you won’t be taking your writing seriously either. But if you treat it as a part time job, for instance, you’ll be much more equipped to actually get to your desk and do some writing, even if it is only an hour or so a few times a week. The difference is in how seriously you take your writing.
The bottom line is that if you treat your writing like a hobby, you don’t think that your writing is a serious venture in your life. However, if you treat your writing as a job, just like any job and important commitment that you have, you will take it VERY seriously.
So, the choice is yours.
Here are a few ways to determine if you are treating your writing as a hobby:
1. You don’t reinforce your writing time with your family by scheduling it and then showing up to write. Instead, you write in a very unpredictable manner. Sometimes you follow your schedule, but most times you don’t.
2. You feel torn between your writing and your duties to others. If something more important comes up, your writing is gone out the window. Then you feel guilty about it.
3. You allow your family members to put pressure on you NOT to write. You allow them to put down your writing career and your writing time.
4. You don’t take your writing very seriously. You don’t wholeheartedly commit to your writing projects and complete them.
If you can relate to any of these points, you probably consider yourself to be a hobby writer. If you do, take heart. Try and decide if you want to take your writing to the next level. If you do, you MUST COMMIT TO YOUR WRITING AND TREAT IT AS A JOB! Only you can do this, and when you do, your family will know that you are serious.
Try it! You deserve to be a productive writer who is a committed writer.
Irene S. Roth
Freelance Writer, Editor, and Author
If you are one of these writers, take note. First of all, I feel for you. For many years, I had a full-time job and tried to get some writing done in between times. I always DID do my writing, despite the fact that I taught three university courses per semester with sometimes upwards of 500 students all together and had to take workshops and courses as I was trying to complete my post-graduate degrees in Philosophy and Psychology. But here is the kicker: I NEVER treated my writing as a hobby, even when I couldn’t devote 20 hours a week to my writing. I just always worked writing into my schedule, regardless of how packed it was.
What I am trying to get at is that when you treat your writing as a hobby, you are setting yourself up for a lack of productivity. Also, you won’t be taking your writing seriously either. But if you treat it as a part time job, for instance, you’ll be much more equipped to actually get to your desk and do some writing, even if it is only an hour or so a few times a week. The difference is in how seriously you take your writing.
The bottom line is that if you treat your writing like a hobby, you don’t think that your writing is a serious venture in your life. However, if you treat your writing as a job, just like any job and important commitment that you have, you will take it VERY seriously.
So, the choice is yours.
Here are a few ways to determine if you are treating your writing as a hobby:
1. You don’t reinforce your writing time with your family by scheduling it and then showing up to write. Instead, you write in a very unpredictable manner. Sometimes you follow your schedule, but most times you don’t.
2. You feel torn between your writing and your duties to others. If something more important comes up, your writing is gone out the window. Then you feel guilty about it.
3. You allow your family members to put pressure on you NOT to write. You allow them to put down your writing career and your writing time.
4. You don’t take your writing very seriously. You don’t wholeheartedly commit to your writing projects and complete them.
If you can relate to any of these points, you probably consider yourself to be a hobby writer. If you do, take heart. Try and decide if you want to take your writing to the next level. If you do, you MUST COMMIT TO YOUR WRITING AND TREAT IT AS A JOB! Only you can do this, and when you do, your family will know that you are serious.
Try it! You deserve to be a productive writer who is a committed writer.
Irene S. Roth
Freelance Writer, Editor, and Author
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