Being a writer is really cool. You can put an entire world on paper and create any character you want. It allows you to be vulnerable and show your audience a piece of your heart. You have the world at your fingertips to express in any way that you want to.

There are some thing about being a writer, the good, the bad, and the annoying, that only writers understand and would leave non-writers scratching their heads and saying, “Are you kidding me?” As someone who has been a writer basically since I could hold a pencil, there are quite a few quirks that I experience on a daily basis and I’m sure all the writers out there can relate.

1. Writer's block

Yes the dreaded writer’s block. I guarantee every writer has experienced it before in some way. There’s just no getting around it. It’s especially annoying when whatever project you’re working on comes to a screeching halt because you just can’t come up with what happens next.

2. Feeling invigorated to write

This is the exact opposite of writer’s block. Once you get the inspiration to write, there’s no stopping you and you might write an entire novel in a week. Every waking moment is consumed by ideas and you don’t want to do anything else but write.

3. Reading old work and cringing

Every now and then I get the urge to read stuff I wrote a few years ago...and then I wish I didn’t. I feel ashamed I ever wrote something so horrible and wish to burn it.

4. Resurrecting old work

It’s very common to abandon an idea when a better one comes around. However, every now and then when I decide to reread old writing, I wonder why I ever abandoned it in the first place. You never know, an abandoned idea could be the next best seller.

5. Trying to explain your ideas to someone else

Sometimes you get so excited about an idea that you just have to tell someone. The idea makes sense in your head but putting it into words isn’t so easy and it’s a little disappointing when they aren’t as excited as you are.

6. Letting someone else read/critique your writing

Letting another person read your writing is anxiety-inducing. Here’s this manuscript that you just poured your heart and soul into, how heartbroken would you be if they hated it? Don’t even get me started on group critiques in creative writing classes…

7. Having conversations with your characters

A writer can become so committed to their characters that they’re almost like real people. In our mind, we have conversations with them about their lives and aspirations in order to better flesh them out for our stories. I dare any writer to say they haven’t done this at least once.

8. Drawing your characters

It’s natural to want to put a face to the characters you’ve put so much thought into. I draw all the time so naturally, I draw all my characters constantly. For the non-artists out there, you might enlist the help of your artist friend to draw your characters.

9. That feeling of talking with someone who is also a writer

Finding someone who obsessively writes like you do is like finding gold. Now you have someone to bounce ideas off of, read your work without judgment, and get excited with when you finally reach the milestone of being ready to publish.

10. The pride of actually finishing what you wrote

Writing is a long process. You might abandon ideas completely, keep revisiting them, and trashing version after version of it. Getting to the point of being completely finished, let alone published, is a feeling of pride and relief. Now onto the next thing!