Lately, it seems that people are coming to a shocking revelation...writing's hard. It's not only hard, but it's almost shameful.

Both of these facts are true, and both are all right.

I'm not a very tactful person. In fact, I'm 100% sure that my personality alone is a big turn off for many. Here's another problem, I don't play around. If I ever play your game, it's because I'm making fun of you.

Writing's supposed to be hard. It's supposed to be tough, and our continued demands that it be easier is the beginning of the end.

I feel like I've just run a marathon nonstop for hours. My vision blurred for a bit, but I kept fighting and I kept going, and then when I finally finish, I'm pretty sure I didn't win, maybe I came in like 100th out of 102. I look around me and see everyone holding out their hands for a gold medal. And we all get one. And we're not allowed to complain about it, lest we be known as 'bullies' for challenging the insanity.

Everyone's a writer...only, we're not. Do I consider myself a writer? No. Writers are successful; even indie writers can be 'very' successful. I do consider myself a go-getter. I value every bit of the pain and suffering it took to make a book, but I'm not in any way going to say people should make it easier. I will say that I hate how easy it is. It makes me doubt myself and my own work. Especially when I crack open a 'bestseller' and see a work of 'fiction' that seems written by a 4th grader and edited with crayons and bubblegum.

It hurts.

Writing is hard, writing is tough. From getting the words onto the page, to making the plot stick, to luring unsuspecting readers off the beaten path and leaping out in front of them begging, "hey, wanna read my book? Come on...read it. Please, please. Come on, read it."

It's supposed to make you better, those blows you get to the ego, yes, they feel like a sock of rocks coming right at your face, but they are supposed to make writers better.

The most harmful thing you can do to ANY writer is to tell them what they want to hear, just because you can't be bothered to break their hearts.

Toughen up, 'writers'. This isn't for the faint of heart...hell, most writers don't even make it out alive.

Shotgun, meet my big toe...