The Real vs. Imaginary Problems Every Writer Faces

Choosing between writing and survival is a myth we need to stop believing

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels.

A reader recently commented on one of my stories.

She asked about the impossible choice between her writing dreams and her actual responsibilities.

“When you have a goal and responsibilities, a dream and a job that clash, which one do you choose?” she wrote. “Because splitting your focus between them isn’t easy even if you know which one you’d like to pursue.”

I get where she’s coming from because I used to feel the same. I think the reason we often feel this way comes from the narrative fed to us our entire lives.

The popular myth of writing

Hollywood loves the dramatic career change. Think of all those movies where the main character quits their job to open a bakery or write their magnum opus. We see this narrative amplified in the news, too. Everyone seems eager to cover stories about people who “followed their dreams” and left traditional careers for creative pursuits.

These stories are inspiring. They’re also in movies and the news for a reason: they’re rare.

Narratives like these perpetuate the myth: Real artists sacrifice everything for…