My chosen career isn’t a joke

Remember being a little kid and scribbling onto notebook paper aimlessly? You probably didn’t think much of your scribbles other than some attempt at writing or an art project. But from those days of scribbling at the age of four, I knew I wanted to be a writer.

Before I could form letters, I made up outrageous stories and begged my mom to read a book to me every night before bed—most of the time it was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. I realize now that everyone thought it was cute when I was young. My poems with perfect rhyme made my family “ooh” and “ahh”, and my teachers gave me gold stars—it didn’t sink in until I was much older what everyone thought when those aspirations followed me into my adult life.

My senior year of high school our principal called all of the seniors down to his office in pairs to check in with everyone to see what their goals for college were. I sat next to a guy I knew fairly well and listened as he told the principal he wanted to be a fireman. My principal commended him for wanting an honorable profession. Then it was my turn.

My answer was short “I want to be a writer” and instead of receiving encouragement, I was met with something along the lines of “that’s not practical” and “you should consider changing your mind”. I’ve heard the same worn out phrases for years, but my chosen profession is no less valid than any other. I shouldn’t have to justify my decision.

Writing might not be practical, but neither is becoming a brain surgeon

What seems to be the “strongest” argument, and I use the word strongest loosely, against writing professionally is that it isn’t practical. How can you define what is and isn’t practical? Writing professionally covers an array of careers. Writing jobs range from writing novels to writing technical manuals and everything that falls somewhere in the middle. Those who aspire to write in any form still go to college for instruction like those who have dreams of becoming social workers, brain surgeons, and biologists.

It’s arguable that English is one of the most versatile degrees offered in college. People seem to hold this belief that going to college for something in science, business, or law—or any other related field—guarantees a student success after graduation, but that isn’t true. A student who spends four years in and out of a lab in the hopes of landing a research opportunity can log hundreds of hours and still walk out of college without a job offer. It isn’t what major you choose that matters—it’s how much effort you put in and how determined you are to achieve your goals and dreams.

Writers are responsible for a lot of the things we love

Writers construct the scripts for your favorite movies and T.V. shows. They write the novels you love so much and the textbooks that you learn from. People are so quick to look down on creative professions, but without artists—of any form or medium—the world would be a bleak place.

Imagine if The Beatles gave up because people couldn’t understand the worth of music. Imagine if F. Scott Fizgerald had never written The Great Gatsby. Imagine if Mozart had never composed music. I’m not looking down upon those who have chosen to follow the paths of math and science, or anyone who isn’t a creative type—I’m simply asking that everyone show writers the respect they deserve.

Stop dismissing writers by saying “I want to write a book one day”

Writing as an act is simple, because any educated person can write. Being a writer, however, is different. It’s not as easy as picking up a pen and writing some words on a piece of paper until there’s an entire novel’s worth of writing. Tackling that sort of writing pursuit takes months or even years, not to mention the months of editing that take place after it has all been written. In that sense, no, writing is not something that everyone is capable of doing.

It’s frustrating to hear someone say ” I want to write a book one day”, in a way that suggests it would be just another accomplishment to put on a resume. When you say that, you’re dismissing writers and underestimating how difficult it is to write, edit, or sell pieces of writing. It’s a labor intensive process that years of education, and a dash of natural talent, make a little bit easier. As one of my professors would say, “just because a story happened, doesn’t make it interesting”.

I encourage anyone to write. Keep a journal. Write a weekly blog. Even write crappy poetry for the sake of writing. But don’t discredit my hard work because you think everyone can be a writer.