The Four Weird Things People Will Say When You Tell Them You’re a Professional Writer

Keep that pen in your hand, even if someone is putting their foot in their mouth

Aymes Sarah
5 min readSep 20, 2020
Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

The idea of the life of a writer is a lot more glamorous than the actual life of a writer.

People picture me typing on a beautiful vintage typewriter, sipping delicious coffee in a clay mug, while longingly glancing outside at the picture-perfect nature scene outside of my window.

Alternatively, they may picture a life of art, sex, and drugs à la Charles Bukowski.

In reality, I am typing manically on my phone because “I have to write this article now”, while my daughter hauls on my arm, even after I played with her for two hours. There is nature outside, but I have no time to stare longingly at it. Truthfully, I barely had time to comb my hair today.

These days, I work longer and harder than when I had a conventional full-time job.

Yet, the stereotypes of a writer persist.

“Why don’t you try getting a real job?”

Writing is a real job. Many companies hire writers to market their ideas, come up with slogans, and write their blogs.

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Aymes Sarah

Aymes is a freelance writer, social media manager, and published author. She co-owns a site ( www.personalsafetyschool.com ) with safety guide and tips!