Why do people think writing is easy?

[KnuteRockne]

Not sure if this belongs here or on the journalism only board, but since I'm referring to fiction, books, screenwriting, etc., I'll put it here.

Seems every time the topic of me carving out my writing career comes up arounds friends and family, the response seems to be, "Oh, that shouldn't be a problem for you. You're such a good writer! You're good at it!"

OK, I understand it's a compliment, but the thought is out there: What we do comes easy for us and its effortless.

I would never think a cardiologist, even the best heart surgeon in the world, has an easy go of it. Why us?

 

[chazp]

People don't see it as a craft. They think it comes easy, I think, because they see so much print in papers and on-line, they assume it can't be that hard to write.

 

[Chi City 81]

It's not hard to write. Anyone with a high school education can do it. Writing well, on the other hand ...

 

[KnuteRockne]

It's not hard to write. Anyone with a high school education can do it. Writing well, on the other hand ...

OK, smartass, why do people think writing WELL is easy?

 

[Claws for Concern]

It's not hard to write. Anyone with a high school education can do it. Writing well, on the other hand ...

Exactly.

 

[shockey]

maybe you're hanging with the wrong people. my friends -- who can buy and sell me ten times over -- are very impressed by what i do. not because it's cool that i talk to people they admire, but because i can write well enough to turn out stories about them in no time.

they are impressed that i write well enough to make a living at it, 'cause they can't write crap. it's always come easily to me, but i learned long ago, there is a talent that goes with it that most folks do not have.

 

[slappy4428]

because he is still employed.

 

[shotglass]

because he is still employed.

Don't you have to turn in 10 tearsheets of your past work before you can say that?

 

[blueview]

A thought - it's easy for people to write, but extremely difficult for a person to articulate sophisticated thoughts and ideas onto paper. Had a friend in junior high who watched me write paper after paper and he said, "I can't do it like you. I think these great things but on paper it's just crap."

 

[RokSki]

because he is still employed.

Ha ha. I agree with Doc, too.

 

[huntsie]

Being able to write well, to articulate what you're thinking, is a gift. Not everyone can do it. I've seen people who are very smart in other walks of life whose writing is wooden or lifeless or over or underwritten, and they think it's gold. In fact, there are people in the business like that.
I think people are under the impression it's easy because of the sheer volume of good stuff that's out there in book or magazine form, or through the internet.

 

[Buck]

Because they watched 'Everybody Loves Raymond.'

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Because a lot of people tell them it is.
(BLOGS!)

 

[RokSki]

Because a lot of people tell them it is.
(BLOGS!)

Good point.

 

[Ashy Larry]

Why do people think writing is easy? Because writing is easy....spelling, now that's a gift!

 

[slappy4428]

because he is still employed.

Don't you have to turn in 10 tearsheets of your past work before you can say that?

Only if I think I can do better.

 

[Meat Loaf]

I find that most people are under the impression that writing isn't physical work, therefore requires zero effort. I find those people to be assholes, but that's just me.

 

[Songbird]

Writing is the most easiest.

 

[audreyld]

Could be worse. Every activity I attend with non-photo friends and my family, I'm expected to bring along a camera and take fabulous pictures of everyone present.

Then they say, "If I had a nice camera, I could take good pictures, too."

So, not only is my job so easy a trained monkey could do it, it's easy enough that I'm supposed to spend my leisure time doing. Be glad you don't have to write gamers for every birthday party you attend.

 

[Duane Postum]

I'm astonished by those bloggers who can just pour **** out. For me writing is like pulling teeth. My internal editor is a ****ing stingy ASSHOLE.