There are days when the last thing I want to do is work!

I'm sure it's something all writers have to deal with. It's so exhilarating to be creative and write novels that the last thing we want to do is crunch numbers, haul boxes, oversee annoying employees, drive a truck, and all those other mundane tasks that make up our day job.

Even writing is a lot more hard work than most people realize! There's the thrill of creating, but that's less than 25% of the actual work. You have to spend so much time polishing, editing, rewriting, fixing, changing, and finding mistakes. By the time your book is published, it's 25% fun and 75% plain old-fashioned hard work.

But, like anything great, it's worth fighting for. It's worth waking up one more day to go to your boring day job and put in a solid 8 to 10 hours at the grindstone, all so that you can come home and put your 30 to 90 minutes a day into the work that makes you happy.

Most of the great writers started out writing in their spare time, and they had to find ways to work around their day job. They had to excel at their day job, too, as that was the only way to stay hired while trying to work their second job (write their novels). It's like having two full-time jobs, and having to excel at both. A lot of hard work!

Thankfully, I've learned to keep at it.

Yes, my day job sometimes gets boring. Sitting and writing all day long can take its toll, both on my mind and body. But when I find myself complaining because I have to write another article, I remember what I'm doing it for. Thanks to the regular work that I have, I'm able to put in those hours of "free time" writing novels.

If you keep at it--both your "boring" money-making job and the "exhilarating" job of creating--you'll find yourself a much better person in the long run. You'll have the dedication needed for all the hard work of writing (remember 25% fun, 75% work), but you'll also have that desire to create and the NEED for an outlet. It's a beautiful balance, and one that can help you be a better, more professional writer and person overall!