Rethinking the Professional Writer
After my last post, I thought it would be a good idea to reach out to fellow writers to hear more about how they deal with imposter syndrome and what being a professional writer means to them. One of those people was Fizza, a brilliant fantasy writer who is one of the most honest and thoughtful humans I know. So who better to talk to about this than her? I told her about my doubts and my fears and how I was wondering if I’m being delusional about becoming a professional writer.
This was her response:
These stresses and concerns are valid things to be worried and stressed about because they deal with figuring out your purpose. As someone who finds purpose in writing, I fully understand feeling so shaken up by these doubts. Especially when so much of our day is consumed by the minutia of corporations, where value is measured so differently and rewarded so sparingly … And I feel you on the global concerns. Everything that’s going on right now can easily make our micro concerns feel even heavier and more suffocating because we haven’t gotten the time of space to fully address with them.
… I think the end result can’t be the goal. It really can’t. The job has to be getting the rejections. I heard an actor say in interview once that “acting” was just a bonus and auditioning was the actual job. I think for us it’s the same.
Out of all the conversations I had, this one hit home the most because it reminded me of one of my most fundamental beliefs: You have to work really freaking hard and you have to fail repeatedly over a long period of time if you want to be successful. It’s a game of trial and error, rinse and repeat.
When we think of a “professional” we think about a person who is paid X to do Y. And to the extent this is true. But what if being a professional writer is actually more of a mindset?
Google “professional” and you’ll also get these results:
noun
a person engaged or qualified in a profession
a person competent or skilled in a particular activity.
The takeaway? You don’t need to have a six-figure book deal to be a professional writer. You don’t need to have a book deal, period. Is it nice to have that kind of validation? Of course. Does it influence the likelihood of people listening to you? Sometimes. But the only way to truly be confident that you know your stuff (and ultimately prove it) is through experience. In other words, write tons of short stories and essays, create videos, snap photos, edit these visuals, post to social or Medium or Wattpad—consistently. Because with each thing you create and put out there, you learn. You learn what works and what doesn’t, as well as what people are interested in, which helps you hone your professional skillset. And if you fail or get rejected, that’s an even bigger opportunity to learn and grow. I know it stings. Failing is never fun. But making mistakes is part of this process. True professionals aren’t perfect, but they are the ones putting in the work and sharing it.
So enough doubting, it’s time to get to work 👊
