Why Do So Many Writers Give Up So Quickly?
This just doesn’t happen in other professions
I’ve been writing on Medium for just over 9 months so far. As well as writing here, I’m an avid reader. Over the months, I’ve followed hundreds of great new writers. But where are they all? Many have disappeared.
Every now and then, I realize that I haven’t seen any articles by some of them. I follow them, but they just don’t show up in my feed.
I then go search for their profiles to see their latest stories.
But what do I find?
Usually, I find that about 20% of them have stopped writing. They may have been writing consistently for a few months but then just suddenly stopped.
It’s possible that some of them are just away on vacation or doing other things, but I’m pretty sure that most have given up. If they’ve been away a week or two, there is often a valid reason. If they’ve been away for over a month, there’s little hope that they’ll be back again.
Why are writers so fickle?
One possible reason is that they’re not real writers. They may just be people that thought they could make a quick buck writing. They found out it wasn’t so easy, so gave up.
Another possible reason is that they have found a better way to make a living. Most writers don’t earn a full-time salary, so who can blame anyone that gives up to pursue a more lucrative job?
Or is it just that most writers don’t have enough work ethic? I see writers say that they don’t expect instant money, but when they don’t get it, they give up.
Successful writers
Most successful writers have spent years learning their craft. They didn’t make it big in a few months. It’s no different from athletes, entrepreneurs, medical professionals, and a host of other people. To build a great career, we have to put in the time and effort to get to the top.
The vast majority of writers don’t seem willing to do this.
Another thing I noticed about many new writers is that they aren’t willing to pay to take a writing course. They think they already know it all or think they can learn everything for free. Why is this?
Imagine you had a medical emergency and found out that your doctor had gained all his knowledge from the internet because he didn’t want to pay for any medical courses. You might end up dead.
Most successful athletes start training as children. They dedicate their lives to doing what they love.
Yet many writers give up after a few months.
I’m not sure why it baffles me so much, but it does.
If you’re thinking of giving up writing, what’s the reason?
