Dispelling the Writer's Myth

First, let me apologize for the lack of posting lately. Unfortunately, with the advent of Fall comes a myriad of physical ailments that leaves me sipping Thera-flu from a thermos and shaking my fist at the elements.

And in this state of general malaise, I haven't written at all. Not even a grocery list. Which brings me to the Writer's Myth:

You have to write everyday to be, or call yourself, a writer.

Balderdash. (Such a fun and under-appreciated word).

In the many conferences I've attended, someone in the industry invariably hands down this commandment and then looks pointedly right at me (although perhaps the last is merely a figment of my paranoia). And I shift uncomfortably in my seat, ashamed that I can't always meet that requirement.

Does that mean I'm not a writer? The thought takes hold, refusing to relinquish its grip until I comfort myself with the knowledge that these people are crazy.

Okay, maybe not crazy, maybe just unnaturally optimistic.

In the real world, where I live, stuff happens. The baby gets sick; I get sick; and the laundry grows into a pile that threatens to overtake the house. And while at times I'd love nothing more than to sit down everyday and stare at my laptop while the literary goodness fills the screen, it is not always feasible, and not always the most responsible thing for me to do.

Should I then beat myself up? Should I give back my "writer" badge, believing that I just must not want it enough? Do I spend the time when I can write worrying about the times when I can't?

No. To all of the above.

I keep on, using the Writer's Myth to challenge, not shame me. I trust in my ability to do what I'm supposed to--eventually. I realize that there is a difference in being my own harshest critic and my own personal bully. And when I can't find the time or energy to write one day, I listen to the critic who tells me to try harder, and I silence the bully who tells me that my heart just must not be in it.

--Mandy