What I Love/Hate Most About Writing

What I love/hate most about writing


What I love about writing:

1) The freedom of expression, letting my thoughts burst forth unimpeded.

2) Researching for hours and unearthing a slew of wonderful facts that change everything.

3) Polishing. Altering things again and again, if not spending an hour simply inverting two words.

4) Interviewing people who have been interviewed countless times and getting them to say something different, if not profound.

5) Finding the different word/words that stretches the reader's mind.

6) Entertaining readers with my unique style. I admit it: I'm a ham and I pride myself on having an instantly recognizable style.

7) Becoming known from your work, both inside and outside the business, and establishing a solid reputation.

8) Seeing a new story in print for the first time.

9) Receiving feedback/letters/etc that tells me that my story moved them in some way, made them laugh or cry or think or re-think, etc.

10) Getting paid doing what I love. Excuse the cliche, but you can't beat that with a stick.

What I hate about writing:

1) The first line. Facing that blank screen/page and trying to come up with an opening. OMG! Dread it.

2) Deadlines. Although without them, I wonder if I'd ever finish anything. A necessary evil, I guess---at least for me.

3) Editors who don't understand my genius. LOL

4) Rejection of any kind, including requests that I rewrite things.

5) Waiting to hear back from editors after you've submitted something. It's the proverbial dying a thousand deaths.

6) Horrible editing that compels me to cringe when I read the story in print.

7) Hate mail.

8) Writing badly. Nothing depresses me more.

9) Fighting for the right word or words. Nothing drives me crazier.

10) The adrenaline rush that makes it impossible for me to sleep most nights.