Ten Signs You've Taken Your Writing Obsession Too Far

Every writer knows the blessing (or curse, more accurately) of writing. The superpowers of world creation. The pure joy of instant escapism into a world completely under your control. The exhilaration of being puppet master for both your characters and readers. The vicarious ecstasy of slipping into the role of both handsome hero and clever villain.

But like anything, even writing, needs to be dosed in moderation. Here are ten signs you’ve taken it too far:

1. You accidentally call your wife by the name of your novel’s heroine. 

Depending on the particular circumstances of the mistake, this could be a marriage breaker.

2. You are still in your pajamas at 5 pm on your day off. 

Just one more chapter turned into five more hours.

3. You dream a brilliant plot and scramble out of bed at 2 am to write the outline. 

Usually doesn’t sound as good in the morning as it did in the middle of the night.

4. Your friends have stopped calling and it took you three months to notice. 

The only friends you need are in Middle Earth anyway.

5. You conflated your boss with your story’s villain. 

Oh well, the character was probably based on him, wasn't he?

6. You have more empty coffee mugs on your desk than rejection letters. 

And there are a lot of those.

7. You work on three manuscripts, four short stories, a platform, a query letter, an author bio, a front cover, and a blog all in one day.

And somehow you still find time to read fifty pages of the latest fantasy epic from your favorite author.

8. Your book budget is nearly as high as your rent.

Yes this is actually my keyboard. Good thing I don't need to
look at it to see where A, S and E are....

And you still refuse to get rid of your old books. It's okay, Gollum, I know they're precious.

9. You correct the grammar of the local newspaper.

Where do they get these hack writers, anyway?

10. You’ve typed so much you can no longer read the letters on your laptop’s keyboard. 

Yeah, A, S, E, and O are all invisible on mine, and C, D, and L are close behind.

Don’t worry, quirky, obsessed writer you. You are not alone. Maybe someday it will pay off. Or not, in which case you better enjoy it.

I am in-debted to my readers. Without people to endure the words on my pages, I will vanish like the dodo. If you liked this post, feel free to comment below. If you didn't like it, feel free to comment below. I'll be your friend forever if you consider signing up for my weekly newsletter. You'll get a once-a-week update on my posts and NOTHING ELSE! No spam, no selling your email to third parties. Okay, if I ever get around to publishing one of these numerous books I've been working on, I might send out an email letting you know about that, but that's it! In the meantime thanks for reading.

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All writing is the original work of Brian Wright and may not be copied, distributed, re-printed or used any form without express written consent of the author. Find out here how to CONTACT me with publishing and/or use questions