Channing Fridays - Writing Is Hard

Someone once asked me what the writing process was like and while I started to explain, I couldn't.

Because, and I know we always say it, but writing is hard. Really hard. Indescribably hard. How do you describe just how hard it is to someone who has no idea what they are getting themselves into when they decide, "I'm going to try to write a book"?

So, naturally, I thought, "Maybe Channing can help!"

Let's be real, it usually starts after being rejected from a manuscript you've sweated and slaved over. So the whole process starts when you're like this.

Even the idea of writing another book makes you want to laugh, then puke, then laugh some more.

But, eventually, if you have good writer friends or an awesome agent or a supportive family, they will listen to your whining and wallowing for days weeks months, and convince you to give it one more try.

So you cleanse yourself, release the bad energies from that last dead-in-the-water manuscript. And you come up with an idea.

Then you take what's left of your bleeding heart and throw it in front of your writer friends and agent. 

...And they approve.

And for just a minute, you're like, "This is it. This will be 
The One." 
Representation. Publication. Sales. Awards. It will all be yours!

And then you sit down at your computer and feel like an asshole.

Because every word you write feels like "oh my God, I have no idea what I'm doing! What am I doing?! I'm doing all this wrong, aren't I? I AM! I AM DOING THIS WR--oh. Wait."

Eventually, you find your groove. And the words show up and decide to party.

You even feel a tiny bit smitten with your project. Because, even though that last one hurt you, this one is kinda cute. 

Who are you kidding? This project is NOTHING like that old one. It's adorable and awesome. And...Nom nom nom.

Then you finish writing it, and you realize you have to send it out for people to read.

And they send you feedback.

And you revise.

But the manuscript is better and stronger and then you hear:

Then your project goes out into the world, either on submission or to be published or whatever. And you divorce it. You let it go.

And then the whole cycle starts again.

So, there it is. Basically, writing is hard and gut wrenching and full of ups and downs. But it's also ridiculously awesome. Just like this gif of Channing feeding a puppy. Because OH MY GOD, CHANNING FEEDING A PUPPYYY!

And this, my friends, is why we have Channing Fridays.