Quick question: Whenever you hear the name of JK Rowling, what comes into your mind? Probably a lavish lifestyle, a life away from miseries and financial problems. Perhaps the most satisfying and the perfect life a writer could ever wish for.
You’re not alone. I think the same things, too. And sometimes, I wonder how it would be like if I’m living the same life as she is, which is a far-fetched dream, of course. After all, she’s famous, successful, and influential. But, if you strip her of all the material things she possesses, she’s a writer, just like you and me. And maybe, she’s not living a very different life from us, contrary to what we think she does.
If you perceive it in this light, writers can live a similar life to JK Rowling. And that is the life of a happy writer. But before she was happy, she was heartbroken first.
If you’ve ever heard the story of JK Rowling before she became who she is today, you’d appreciate her more. She’s had struggles, pain, and heart-wrenching experiences in life. Yet, she didn’t let these overpower her. She rose above them, and that’s how she became a billionaire author today.
Sometimes, it takes a broken heart for more significant realizations in life. That’s the lesson we can all learn from her story. If you’re a writer, what’s more, important is living a happy writer’s life rather than having material things surrounding you. And it doesn’t take a JK Rowling’s lifestyle for you to live a happy writer’s life. Here are some tips I can share to achieve a happy writer’s life.
How to Live the Life of a Happy Writer?
Write every day.
The passion for always going beyond the line of “okay” is a mantra of every successful writer. This means grinding until you breathe words. Because frankly, you won’t know your full capacity if you stick to the standard. Just like how a customer service rep goes at extra length to help a customer, you should do the same with your skill.
Writing every day is a precious gift you can give to yourself. You owe it to your past self, who decided to become a writer, to realize the goal. But if you can’t set aside a few minutes to write every day, don’t expect you’ll be a good writer. Remember, it takes 10,000 hours before you can be a master at anything.
Write from your heart.
One of the reasons it took me weeks to decide what niche to focus on is because I don’t want to write just for the purpose of writing. I hated the idea of writing because it’s my job. I want to write about something that I love. It took me a while to realize that this is the only way to translate emotionless words into words that capture hearts. You see, there are many writers out there, but they don’t write for a subject they enjoy writing. As a result, their words don’t cut through to the readers.
There’s a special connection in doing the things that you love. You’ll feel that as well if you pursue your passion. You get more inspired, motivated, and you get a light and happy feeling about it. It’s just like having a limitless supply of energy to do that thing that you love. And most importantly, you’re happy, and you do things with a smile.
Doing the thing that you love means liberating yourself from inhibitions. You get a chance to show your true self. If you can do this, every word you write will channel that same happy feeling to your readers.
Read books.
I’m a reader first before I’m a writer. When I was young, I loved reading epics, folklore, and myths. I had developed a love for my Filipino books because it had all the best stories I could enjoy at that time. In my opinion, if you love reading, you’ll also love writing as much.
Reading books will give you new ideas on how to improve your writing skills. Reading other author’s works will let you take a peek at their lives, ideals, perspectives, and the way they see the world as a whole. It can be hard to believe, but reading a book is an intimate experience. At least, that’s what I think.
You see, books are a reflection of their authors. Before books were written, there was a purpose in the author’s mind. And in many cases, that purpose circles around sharing. They are sharing the author’s beliefs, stories, and the angle that they see the world.
Reading a book is like starting an adventure. You enter a different new world and get to experience the same adventures the author has experienced. And once the journey ends, you return with a story, lessons, and sometimes, new perspectives.
Let ideas out first.
A writer’s mind is chaotic. It’s like a cluttered room with things that are all out of place. This is why a writer should write first before editing. You clean a messy room by picking up the clutter randomly and putting them in place. The same process should be applied when you’re writing.
Empty your mind first. Get those flashes of ideas out of your brain by writing them down. Don’t look back, and don’t worry if what you’re writing looks ugly and doesn’t make sense. It’s meant to be that way. No writer has written a good book just by dropping random ideas into a paper. Once you’ve got everything out, you can go back, edit and refine your piece.
Have a writing sanctuary.
This is something I’d love to have in the future. We are a family of eight who lives in a small house with only two rooms. There’s no spot where I can write in peace. So I have to resort to using a headphone or earplugs to block any noise.
If you’re lucky to have a spacious place, choose an area of your home to be your writing sanctuary. It should only be used when you’re writing. This space should be quiet and organized so that you can focus.
There’s certain psychology about this concept. I repeatedly hear one piece of advice from sleep experts on people who have trouble falling asleep. And this is not to use any gadgets in bed. The bed should only be for sleeping and nothing else. Those who have followed this advice have improved the quality of their sleep. It’s the same with your writing sanctuary. You’ll be more inspired and productive if you have a dedicated space for your passion.
Ditch perfection
Honestly, I had a hard time letting go of perfectionism. I don’t know if I got this personality from my father, but it’s hard to let go of the perfectionism rope. My father has this habit of making sure things are done perfectly. I didn’t like it. Actually, I wasn’t too fond of it.
But you know what they say? What you see in others that you don’t like or irritates you is an exact reflection of yourself. I was a perfectionist, too. I want to do things systematically and get perfect outcomes. I want things to be without any dents.
But I later realize that it’s only in getting things done that you learn. No wonder people learn more by making mistakes than doing the right thing. The impact of our mistakes is greater than the things we did right. When I did one thing right, I forgot it as soon as I moved on to something new. But when I make a mistake, I become more conscious not to make the same mistake again because I know I’ll have to face some consequences. I guess that’s just how the brain works for everyone.
Get a social life.
Lastly, a happy writer has a social life. Many writers are confessed introverts. Frankly, I’m the same. I enjoy solitude and peace. My energy gets quickly drained when I’m in crowded places, like malls or public markets. I guess it has to do with me absorbing all these negative and positive energies from people. This might be the reason why most writers prefer to be alone, away from the chaos of the world.
But a happy writer is someone balanced. A happy writer is someone as happy alone as with friends. So it would help if you get out there, too. Have a social life. Meet up with friends and explore the world. Even do volunteering when you get a chance. You’ll learn a lot from experience than from reading books. Travel, and you’ll be a healthier, happier, and more successful writer.
Final Thoughts
We often feel jealous of other people’s success, and sometimes, we wish we were them. But deep inside, what we only want is their success, not the pain, heartaches, and sacrifices they’ve gone through to succeed. We need to realize that success is like climbing a mountain. The path to the way up is long and painful, but the view at the top makes it all worth all the wasted energy, all body pains, and mental stress. After all, it’s at the peak that you get the best view of both the things below and things above.
