No, You Don’t HAVE to Write.

I don’t like it when people treat writing like a chore. More accurately, I don’t think it’s helpful for people who want to be successful but aren’t quite sure how to stay motivated long enough to get their work done.

“Have to” implies that something will automatically be unpleasant. And that’s not the best way to approach a writing session, at least in my experience.

Let’s be clear: As a writer, you do “have to” write. And there will be days you really won’t want to, and this is completely normal. Just because you have ideas and are an overall creative person does not mean you’ll be driven to make things 100% of the time. You’re only human, after all.

However, there does need to be some kind of balance between “want to write” and “need to write.” Something that is a hobby can also sometimes feel like a chore…