3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Tell People You’re a Writer

You need to avoid the detailed questions.

I often avoid the dreaded “What’s your job?” question as much as possible. A woman asked me this question at my hair salon.

My answer? I’m aiming for a market analyst position at some firm. There’s always this underlying stigmatization of being a writer.

Here’s why you should lie whenever you’re asked about your profession.

1. They’ll Think You’re a Starving Artist

We all know most writers don’t get the best pay.

It takes YEARS to build your writing career to the point where you’re making the big bucks. Usually, people ask me if I have a second job to support my writing.

Once your profession is stigmatized as “poor”, it’s hard as hell to break that mold. Heck, my family never believed I’d make a decent income being a writer. They laughed in my face when I told them I wanted to be a famous blogger at seventeen.

I’m making a decent income right now, and they’re still unconvinced about my career.

Oh well.

People act as if it’s your job to “entertain them” by telling them about your “good” profession. It’s always a let-down when you say you’re doing something that makes you happy instead of chasing money. People still don’t realize that the value of higher educational degrees in America is declining.

At this point, you’ll need a med-school or law school degree to stay afloat. When in reality, you can get a great education by going to a community college or a trade.

You should avoid the stigmatization while you still can. I don’t want to be lectured on higher-paying jobs I can get to save my “struggling” writing career.

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2. You Need to Avoid The Detailed Questions

I don’t want people to ask how I make money, where I write, what my content is about, etc.

It gets tiring. This isn’t to say that I haven’t developed some confidence as a writer. After all, I’ve written 800+ articles online now. It’s too complicated to explain. My whole family still doesn’t know exactly what I do.

I know where the conversation will go.

The person I’m speaking to will give me a confused face, and then they’ll say “ok” with a creeped-out smile. I get that writing is an unconventional profession, but some people aren’t asking you questions because they’re interested in your work, they’re asking you questions because they’re looking for their first opportunity to shoot it down.

I’m sick of telling people what Substack or Medium are. If I had to explain the intricacies of how I get paid, I’d need an oxygen tank to keep me breathing.

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3. You Don’t Want People to Read Your Work

I want everyone to read my work, but I don’t want people I meet in real life to read it.

I sound like a weirdo. Here’s the thing.

Writing is my therapy. I often write alone in my room or in a dark corner somewhere. My best friend is my computer screen. I tell it my deepest, darkest secrets. It’s an intimate process.

When other people read my work aloud, I get embarrassed.

Granted, I do post these personal thoughts online for the internet to see, but it’s different when you see people read your work in person. My blog is so personal that my family never knew I had certain thoughts in my brain. Half of the time, people will laugh at it.

My sister laughed at one of my articles once.

I had no problem with it, but I want the reader to take in the full emotions of my words. My articles are meant for people to sit alone by themselves and make their own interpretations. That’s art, man.

After my sister laughed at my article, she asked a million and one questions about it. I can barely explain my creative process to myself, let alone other people.

I just hurl words onto the screen and hope they stick.

I’m a simple person. I don’t want relatives or loved ones reading my work because it’s about them. I want strangers to read my work because they’re easier to make an impression on.

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Final Thoughts

Will I ever break out of my shell and tell people I write for a living?

I’m not sure. I don’t want the starving artist trope placed on me, I want to avoid the detailed questions, and I don’t want my loved ones to read my work. I’m not embarrassed to be a writer, but I’m sick of “legitimizing” my profession to other people.

So for now, I’ll say I’m a market analyst.

Until I’m ready to tell others.

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Huge Announcement! Introducing The Story Crafters Club!

On Sept. 30th (Monday) at 8 am EST

I’ll be hosting a 2-hour long writing training Zoom call going over subjects like:

• How to make your writing more clear

• How to write good intros

• The best ways to format your Substack posts

I’ll also be unveiling the Story Crafters Club group chat for paid subscribers with tons of free resources and perks to get your writing career off the ground and soaring!

Plus, I’ll be answering any questions you want afterward!

And if you can’t make it, don’t worry! This meeting will also be recorded and posted for you to refer to anytime!

It’s gonna be a blast!

Hope to see ya there! :)