by Alycia Morales @AlyciaMorales

Many people love to write and choose to do so as a career. It has its pros and cons, but the joy we get from writing makes it worth those. The question is, which of those pros and cons are scary?

1. We hide away in writing caves when on deadline. (Cue the bats.)

Immediate family members don’t always understand why we continually shush them or lock our office door when we’re on a deadline to finish a book or to turn in edits. We isolate ourselves so we can focus on our words, because this is how we make the living that supplements income or takes them to Disney.

If they are aware of this, and they understand we need to be left alone, that’s fantastic. Hopefully they check in and see if we’re still alive in our bat caves. That we haven’t turned into Rip Van Winkle and fallen asleep at our keyboards, because writing books can take that long, right?

But if they don’t understand it, maybe it’s best to take a trip to the local bookstore or Starbucks, where people don’t mind if you put your head down and tap-tap-tap on the keyboard for hours on end. Or get a writer friend’s spouse to let them know it’s worth it to give you some peace and quiet while you finish up. After all, you don’t call them at work with multiple interruptions a day…

2. We research things that would make others’ stomachs turn or cause them to cringe. (Could you please pass me that pumpkin-shaped pail?)

I’m a YA writer. I like to find photos of people who could represent my characters. Have you ever Googled “Teen Girls”? Don’t. Even. Try. It. I’ve learned to Google “Teen Celebs” instead.

And what about you suspense/thriller/horror writers? Searching how to kill people. How to bury someone so no one will find them. How particular guns or poisons work so you can kill off a character. Creeeeepy…

And then there’s the medical stuff. How much blood can a person lose before they die? What happens when a person loses (name body part here)? This is the stuff that makes my stomach turn.

3. We attend genre nights at conferences, where we dress up in costumes of all sorts. (Where did I put that light saber?)

Because writers and readers come in all sorts.

It’s the ultimate adult Cosplay! Have you ever gone out afterward? Still in costume? Imagine the looks you’d get from the locals! Ha! Ha!

4. We drink a lot. (Coffee, anyone? Cider? Hot Toddy?)

This can be wonderful, but make sure there’s a restroom nearby! Whatever your brew, drinking is part of a writer’s life.

5. Chocolate may be our friend, but it’s not our mid-section’s friend. (Treat? Or trick?)

I think this one is self-explanatory, but we must be aware of our health. I spent the last few years comfort eating Chick-fil-A and Krispy Kremes and sucking down flavored coffees from Starbucks. It hasn’t helped my mid-section. And now I’m working off the results.

Eat lean and green. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water. And add healthy movement into your routine if you’re not full-on working out. Healthy movement is simply parking across the parking lot at Walmart or church and walking the extra steps. Deep breathing. Taking the steps instead of the ‘vator. Eventually, you won’t sound like Darth when you reach the top.

6. Red is constantly slashed across our words. (It’s a love-hate relationship.)

Out! Out! D– spot! Any sign of red on a manuscript can send a writer into a full-on panic attack. How we receive edits will determine how we react.

If we are determined to be published, we will look at the red slaughtering our book and begin to stitch it up and back to life. And we’ll do so without all the tears and chaos.

If not, well, maybe we’re okay with finding our book in the writer’s graveyard. Or our desk drawer. Or a shelf in the closet. Or a box under the bed.

The best scenario? Hate the red enough to love your book back to life with some edits. And remember, you don’t have to accept every. single. edit. If it changes your voice or the character’s voice or hinders your plot line, reject it. But be careful not to reject edits that will actually improve your novel or nonfiction masterpiece because you don’t like being edited.

7. Imaginary friends are a part of life. (Who are you talking to?)

Do your family members wonder who you’re talking to while you clean your house? Take a shower? What about people in the store? Do they stare while you’re shopping for groceries?

As a writer, our characters have a tendency to speak to us in the most vulnerable of places. And, if you’re anything like me, you may tend to respond. Out loud. (Did I say something?) My advice? Just roll with it. Your writer friends will understand.

8. You will be woken up in the middle of the night. (Is it a nightmare or a twist to my plot?)

Don’t expect to sleep solidly through the night when you’re in the midst of a great writing spree. Your plot and characters will haunt your dreams until you respond. Midnight writing sessions are a common thing for authors.

I suggest keeping a notebook or your back-lit-keyboard laptop near your bed. Or that you gently roll out of bed and make your way to your writing area, being careful not to wake your spouse. Because then they’ll want to know if you’re okay or if something is wrong or why you’re wide awake at 2:15 a.m. or where you’re going. And you’ll sigh and climb back into bed until they fall asleep again or you do. And then you’ll forget what you wanted to write…

As you can see, being a writer can be scary. But it’s worth it! What’s one thing that scares you about being a writer? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Alycia Morales is a freelance editor and writer. Her writing has been in Thriving Family magazine, Splickety Love, and several compilation books. Her editing clients have won several awards for their manuscripts, including finalist in the Selah Award. She is also a conference assistant for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

When she isn’t busy hanging out with her writing friends, her husband, and her four children, Alycia enjoys reading, watching TV, hiking, and crafting.

Follow Alycia at her blogs, Life in the Mothership,  Life.Inspired. and The Write Editing. She can also be found on Instagram and Pinterest.