by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

We all know there are aspects of choosing to write for a living that can make life tough. It’s easy to get focused on just the negatives. Today I want us to celebrate the best parts of being a writer!

1. We get to use our own experiences—good and bad—to impact others.I’ve learned that we all share a lot of the same fears, hopes and struggles. Writing gives me a chance to share what I’ve been through and watch it impact others.
2. We hear voices in our heads and it’s completely normal.Not only is it normal, but it’s downright scary when our imaginary friends stop talking to us
3. I can buy books and write it off.Books are some of my favorite things in the whole world. Now I need to buy them to further my career.
4. We can take revenge on those who irritate us.Of course we don’t make them recognizable, but it makes us feel better when we can expose their actions in our books. After all, there’s a reason for that old saying,the pen is mightier than the sword.
5. We get to work in our pajamas.Or at least in comfy clothes. There’s something to be said for working at home where we don’t have to worry about how we look.
6. I get to be the boss.I’m a total control freak, so being in charge fits my personality perfectly. I’m in charge of me, my schedule (to a certain degree) and I get to tell my characters what to do.
7. We get to be friends with other writers – and some of them are famous.Some of my first heroes were authors. Now, I’m friends with other writers and get to hang out with the people I’ve always admired.
8. We get to research anything we want.I like to think of it as a healthy curiosity. I refuse to accept my husband’s description of me as nosey.
9. We get to hang out in coffee shops and libraries.I love the atmosphere of coffee shops and libraries. As a writer, I have a legitimate reason for hanging out there.
10. I get to buy pens and paper.Again, these are some of my favorite things. But since I earn my living as a writer, I have to have them for my business.
11. We get paid to make things up.No, not when we’re writing articles and things like that. But for those of us who write fiction, we get to create everything from our imagination.
12. We get fan mail.It’s not the fan mail exactly that’s the best. For me it’s hearing from someone I don’t know that has been touched by the words I wrote. I love getting to see glimpses of God working through me.
13. I get to be weird.Writers look at the world a little differently. We can embrace that because people expect it. No need to hide behind a mask of normalcy.
14. I get to spend hours daydreaming and it’s legitimate work time.Even if we write nonfiction, we still have to come up with new and different ways to present the information. That means time spent thinking and dreaming is a workday requirement.
15. We are courageous enough to follow our dreams.We talk a lot about the fears that come with being a writer. It’s important to never forget the courage it takes to following our dreams. That’s something we should celebrate!

These are my 15 favorite things about being a writer. What’s your favorite thing? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Edie Melson—author, blogger, speaker—has written numerous books, including her most recent fiction – Alone, and nonfiction – While My Child is Away. She’s also the military family blogger at Guideposts.org. Her popular blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month and has just been named as one of the 2017 Writer’s Digest Top 101 Websites for Writers. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and the Vice President of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, as well as the Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine.