by Stephanie Romero
Perhaps I am dating myself but do you remember an old commercial from years ago that went something like this, “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan. And never, ever let you forget you’re a man ‘cause I’m a woman.”
The whole point of this commercial was that as a woman she could do it all. It’s an empowering feeling but is it realistic?
As a writer one of the things that I have faced is the misconception that I have nothing but time on my hands. We tend to respect professions that require working in an office or another type of setting. But for those of us who work from home as a writer, well, it sounds a little too “relaxed.”
Writers must surely have time for naps and watching “Oprah,” right? I mean, after all, this isn’t really a true “profession,” is it? I have learned that it’s not easy to get others to take my line of work seriously.
In fact, at times I have found it difficult to get others to respect my work time. There have been many assumptions made that flexibility as a writer allows me to do whatever I like.
Working from home as a writer actually requires a great deal of dedication and discipline. I can’t bring home the bacon AND fry it up in a pan all of the time because quite honestly, sometimes I am swamped with work.
It could be that I have deadlines to meet or I have so much within that I have no choice but to let it all out through my writing. Writing is a profession and it deserves respect. We may not be able to convince others of this but I still believe we can walk with our heads held high and proudly declare that we are a working woman, a woman who writes.
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5 comments:
So true! I still try to do everything, but it's hard to convince others that writing is so difficult.
Thanks for your insights.
Good advice! I haven't had too much luck with writing groups, but I know that when you can find one that works, it can be amazing.
Thanks for sharing.
http://missgoodonpaper.blogspot.com/
Very true. And so true of any WAH job. I have worked from home for over 10 years now and still find myself explaining that I don't watch Oprah all day!
Only the most disciplined and self-motivated can work at home successfully. Great post!
Great post! Before I quit my 9-5 job to write from home, I also assumed I'd have tons of free time to read, take naps, watch TV, etc. Not true! :)
Well said! Many people think that "anyone can write" but that is because most have never really tried writing for publication. I don't know how you overcome that perception. I do, however, admit to enjoying a good nap! (and often find I awaken with an inspiration for my story!)
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