Writers, Your Journey to Success Should be Boring

Insights from a decade-long writing career.

It’s 12.36 AM on a Sunday morning as I sit and write this.

My room’s in a mess. My to-do list is overflowing. There’s no money in my bank account. I have to take my mother out for lunch tomorrow and I have no clue how I’d manage that.

The last book I published was more than a year ago. I started working on a new book in July this year, but it’s not even 50% done.

My head is filled with questions like, “Am I even a real writer if all I do is publish articles online?” 

And today, I have no answer.

I have no answer why I haven’t become rich and famous like I promised myself I would in 2019? Why haven’t I published 10 books already and bagged the deal for a Netflix series out of one of my stories? Why haven’t I sorted my finances, even though it’s been three full years into the self-employed life.

On days like this, I get impatient on why it’s taking me so long to reach where I want to be. 

And on days like this, I have to consciously remind myself that big things take time. 

I might not have had any major achievements, but the quality of my life has significantly improved in the past three years. I’ve gotten stronger, traveled to various beautiful places all over the country, and made new friends in a city I’m still trying to make home. That’s definitely a win. 

If you’re having a bad day like me, this article is for you.

I know ambitious people, especially creative writers, tend to underestimate the time and struggles it would take for them to get famous. I know they get demotivated, and might even quit their journey before seeing any real progress.

I almost quit, and I want to make sure you don’t.

Your online writing journey is supposed to be boring. It’s supposed to be repetitive and fill you with FOMO. It’s supposed to make you question your self-worth every few days.

And you know what? That’s okay!

I’m here to burst your bubble that being a full-time writer is a fun job filled with adventures. On most days, you’ll be sitting in front of a laptop screen, typing words you aren’t even sure if anyone would read. 

It gets much, much worse before it gets better. And that’s all a part of this beautiful journey. Read on, and let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Stop relying on motivation

I keep getting this question in my YouTube webinars, “How do you keep yourself motivated to write so much and show up consistently?”

The honest answer is I don’t.

Most people believe the job of a writer is glorious. You just grab a cup of coffee and sit with your laptop whenever and wherever the motivation to write strikes. 

In reality, it takes a lot more.

There are days when I wake up with 0 motivation. I feel like not writing, not even turning on my laptop. But I still do it.

Why?

Because I don’t rely on motivation, I rely on discipline. How do I do that? By committing to my writing schedule like a day job.

Imagine you were working a 9-to-5. If you don’t feel like working one day, would you just stay home and say “fuck off” to your boss?

You won’t. Because that’s your job, and that’s what pays the bills.

It’s the same for me while building my creator business: it’s my job, and I’m committed to the journey.

I’m committed to seeing myself succeed. If that means writing on days I don’t feel like writing, then so be it.

Saying all this is easy, but you need to build systems if you really want to stay disciplined. Otherwise, it will get frustrating.

When I say systems, I mean a content plan, a publishing schedule, and an idea bank– all behind-the-scenes details that go into content creation.

Because we all know it’s not just about writing.