Is Writing Fun?

I’ve been writing in some capacity since 2007. And I won’t mince words: Sometimes writing can be fun but usually, it feels like work.

A good part of my journey has been trying to figure out how to make writing fun. Perhaps that’s all just smoke and mirrors though, a way to fool myself into thinking writing actually is. If I have to go out of my way to try and make something fun using external elements, such as giving myself rewards, the activity probably wasn’t all that much fun in the first place.

I won’t say writing doesn’t have its moments. It does. But to me, learning about writing is fun. Talking about writing is also fun. Brainstorming a story? Definitely fun. Hanging out with writers? Mega-fun. I even enjoy editing (many writers don’t). But the actual writing portion has always been a grind for me.

I’ve heard other writers dispense the advice, “If it isn’t fun, don’t do it.” Perhaps there’s this great conspiracy where successful writers secretly know writing isn’t inherently fun, yet tell new writers this to dissuade potential competition.

Once I heard a much different piece of writing advice: Something to the effect of, “Write. Just write. Don’t stop, even during the time when it seems like nobody cares.”

That’s where I am now, in this mysterious fog where no one seems to care. And in the end, I may always be in this fog. It may end up that no one will ever care about what I’m doing. But if I were to die today and had to ask myself if it was all worth it, the answer would be yes.

I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I’ve written more than a few stories I wouldn’t be ashamed to see in print, and–even unpublished–they have already become part of my legacy. I can leave these works with my family, my children, my children’s children. The people who do care even while I’m wandering in the fog. These stories to pass down are a much more powerful, personal, and compelling gift than a typical heirloom ever could be. And maybe my actions will one day inspire them to write.

Aside from that, storytelling is one of the most intellectual exercises one can do. It’s a challenge to overcome, a skill-builder that has helped me across many aspects of my life. Figuring out how a story fits together is more challenging than any chess game. It’s an excellent creative outlet which allows me to explore who I truly am. My strengths, my weaknesses. It helps me build myself and become a better person.

You see, it’s inherently rewarding. If you stick with it and see it through, it doesn’t require an external reward mechanism.

So while writing may not always be fun, it is always satisfying. And I think there’s perhaps more fun to be discovered, waiting just beyond the fog.