Writers have it all, they say

“Writers have it all” They say.


I grew up in a home that was quite lonely. I'd come back from school, and I'd meet my sister buried in her novels. I felt alone, needed a friend or someone to speak to, but that was definitely not my elder sister.

I came to the conclusion that my sister and I may never play a lot like I wanted, and since I wasn't allowed to play with kids outside our home, I took to reading.

I was nine when I finished Richard Wright’s “Black boy”. I never really understood the book but I felt fulfilled. I told my sister about my achievement, and she started recommending books for me. I discovered my imagination can actually exist in words.

Eleven, that's how old I was when I wrote my first short story. I had no access to a computer so I wrote in a book. It was a story about a girl I was in love with, and how we'd elope and get married. However, apart from the fact that she didn't like me too, my principal got hold of the book and I was disciplined. I stopped writing.

Seventeen, I wrote my first article. I wrote the same article a few months before in my assignment and I was given a huge F. I was surprised when the person who demanded for the article loved it, telling me that I was good, I felt I had a shot at this.

Why this history? In this era where they're massive opportunities for writers to make money, people think they have it all. Writers work in a creative environment, some work from home, they're just writing stories and earn a lot, they're just writing articles and copies and they can pay their bills, they definitely have it all.

What people don't know is that writers are depressed. Some of us won't even come out in the open if they don't have to. Every writer has an archive of his or her feelings written in words that will never be released. We tend to be so emotional, and come off as clingy to people we're comfortable with. We're babies, both men and ladies and love to be cuddled by the ones we trust. We're hurt by people we gave our all to, that's why we can't trust anyone.

We suck at socializing, that's why we stay at home on Friday nights, with ice cream and Netflix, while others are out there partying or clubbing. We overthink a lot, that's why we can't hold conversations. We are great at writing, but suck at speaking, that's why we can't woo the girls or the people we have a crush on. We're old fashioned, so love letters get to us more than a lot in the world. We have a little world, that's why we're not recognized in our classrooms. 

Our parents don't think we're doing legitimate business by writing, most of our societies undervalue us, and most of our bosses don't regard our inputs. There are days we wake up and there's not a lot we can do because of writer's block. 

We certainly don't have it all, most of our lives are a mess. We are humans, we deserve love and attention too. If you ever get to see this, hug a writer today.