You Don’t Just “Wake Up a Writer” – The Truth About Writing for a Living

Introduction: “Oh, You’re a Writer? Must Be Nice.”

If I had a pastelito for every time someone said this to me, I’d have enough to supply my family’s bakery for a month. People hear “writer,” and suddenly their imaginations take off: sunny mornings spent journaling in a hammock, an inspiring aroma of café cubano wafting in the air as I craft poetic sentences with ease. In their version of my life, my greatest challenge is deciding whether to edit at the beach or under a mango tree.

Reality check: Writing for a living isn’t a picturesque Hemingway novel. (Though, yes, I did spend a residency in Key West, and yes, a mango tree was involved—but that’s material for another story.) Writing, in fact, is equal parts grit, caffeine, rejection emails, and second-guessing your sanity. It’s frustrating, exhilarating, and, to most, completely misunderstood. Buena suerte trying to explain it to your abuela, who still texts asking, “Pero, when are you getting a real job?”

So today, let’s break it down: What do people get so wrong about being a writer?

Myth #1: “Writing Is Mostly About Sitting Around and Being Inspired.”

Ah, yes. The myth of the mythical muse. You know, she waltzes into the room wearing a fedora, snaps her fingers, and suddenly every word spills out perfectly like it was delivered directly by José Martí himself. Spoiler alert: She’s not real. Inspiration isn’t waiting to strike you. It’s more like unsexy manual labor—you sit, you write, you rewrite, you scrap everything, and then (if you’re lucky) something clicks halfway through your second cafecito.

Take it from me, someone who once taught high schoolers how to analyze Keats while also working on my short stories in the dead of night, inspiration only comes when you’ve put in the sweat. My Cuban parents, who hustled in their bakery from midnight to noon every day, always said, “Lo que vale, cuesta” (“What’s worth it, costs”). And writing costs. It’s messy and exhausting, not this glitzy burst of genius people think.

If you wait for the perfect moment to write, just don’t. Write badly. Write awkwardly. Write something that makes you cringe so hard you need to delete it immediately. Then keep going. Inspiration? She shows up once she knows you’re serious.

Myth #2: “Anyone Can Do It. Just Sit Down and Start Typing!”

Right, because stringing words into a coherent story is the same as texting your tía about the next family barbecue. Don’t get me wrong—writing is the most democratic of art forms. There’s no fancy equipment or multi-million-dollar training required; just you, your brain, and something to write on. Technically.

But the reality? Writing isn’t just talking on a page. It’s thinking, feeling, editing, translating all that’s messy in your head into something other people can actually feel. (Yes, even including the breakups, splashed with just enough humor that your ex’s cousin probably won’t recognize it’s about him.)

That takes skill. Training. Vulnerability. And most importantly—a willingness to fail in front of an audience. Imagine getting naked emotionally for strangers week after week and hoping you don’t wind up on some Reddit thread titled “Writers Who Try Too Hard.” Writing isn’t just “start typing.” It’s discipline, a constant willingness to improve, and an understanding that you’ll bomb some days and thrive on others.

Myth #3: “Writing Isn’t That Hard. At Least You’re Not Doing a Real Job, Like Accounting.”

This one comes at family gatherings when I mention a deadline and get hit with a sigh like I’ve insulted the profession of every lawyer, doctor, and tax preparer in the room. Let me be clear, I know I’m not saving lives here, abuela. But have you ever tried translating human emotions into words that resonate with thousands of readers, only to get 12 comments arguing over one metaphor?

Being a writer is not easy—or predictable. To those who say, “At least you’re your own boss!” I say, yes, but guess who the boss is? Anxiety and an unpaid electric bill, telling you to pitch 15 more articles this week to make ends meet. And while I don’t have to clock in with HR, I do have to answer to my editor holding a red pen and zero patience for clichés.

So sure, my schedule might look flexible, but mentally? Writing is like playing an intense chess match where your opponent is your brain saying, “This sucks.”

Truth: What Writing Is.

It’s finding magic in everyday stories. It’s listening to my abuelo talk about how he courted my abuela with a single guava leaf and shaping that into a lesson on vulnerability. It’s pulling from years of reading and heartbreak and awkward middle-school crushes to reflect what connection looks like on the page.

If there’s one thing decades of Cuban family dinners taught me, storytelling is sacred. It’s in the way my mom can shape a political rant into poetry, or how my dad’s laments about 4 a.m. bread deliveries double as sitcom-worthy comedy. Writing is breathing life into what's in front of you, and sometimes peeking around to see what could be.

It’s also hard work, flat-out rejection, and meals eaten over your laptop while debating if Point A connects to Point B. But every now and then, an email comes in from someone saying your words helped them through heartbreak or reminded them of how love looked in their grandparents’ time. And in those moments, you think, “Okay, maybe it’s worth it after all.”

Parting Words

So no, writing isn’t just lounging under palm fronds waiting for the muse. It’s work. It’s life. It’s part heart and part hustle. And let’s be real—while it might not be easy, it beats accounting.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, inspiration just texted.