10 Things I Sacrificed to be an Author
“But it is such an easy thing to be an author… you see something, get inspired, grab your pen and a few sheets of papers and then start filling their blankness with your words! It’s no big deal!”
I have heard such comments from several people, who have never seen the sadness in the eyes. Such people have never heard the unsaid words. They have never noticed the unexpressed pain that an author has. There is barely anyone who notices the sacrifices of an author.
Just like it is a blessing to be an author, it is a curse as well. While most of the people think that an author chooses his profession, I believe it is the other way around; the profession chooses you. You become an author because you are chosen to be one.
I think most of the kids say that they wish to be writers when they grow up; however, there are only a few chosen ones that actually turn into authors. I believe an author is chosen; if you are chosen to be an author, you are trained for it. You are made to sacrifice for it.
There are a lot of sacrifices of an author and personally, I have sacrificed a lot of things.
But just to cut short the list, here are the top 10 things I have given up to take this profession in life:
- I have focused more on pains, instead of focusing on happiness: This is the worst thing that an author has to go through, unless you concentrate on your pains, you can never write about them. You have to write with a motive to express in such a way that the reader feels you. In order to express sadness, you have to feel it from the core of your soul and not just your heart.
- I had to sacrifice my relationship for the genre I selected: This is perhaps one of the biggest sacrifices of an author. I think everybody knows I started my career as a novelist with Mind Cuffed: Eight Erotic Fantasies Unlocked; for that, I had to sacrifice my relationship. Of course there were a lot of other problems as well, but when he said I had to choose between me and him, I decided I would not sacrifice another career for him, as I had already sacrificed two different careers for him. This time, I had to sacrifice a relationship for what chose me.
And…
- Before being praised, I was insulted when I began writing my first rom-erotica: When I told people about the genre I had selected, they gave me wide-eyed and cunning looks. They tried insulting me and made fun of me. However, after the popularity of Mind Cuffed, they sent me appreciation letters and awaited the release of my second rom-erotica, The Abyssal Secrets.
- I had to, and still, go through sleepless nights: I don’t remember the last time I slept without having stories and characters running in my head. The scariest thing is that the flow of thoughts is at its peak post 12am. Those who know about the sacrifices of an author are surely aware of the writer’s active brain at nights.
- Sometimes, I had to, and still, get up at 4am when a thought strikes the head: The moment you get an idea, you have to write it down somewhere or the very next moment, it’s gone. Even if the thought hits you when you are in deep sleep, the first thing that you need to do after waking up with a sudden jerk is – note it down.
Wait… that’s not all!
- I have cried with my characters, just like I’ve laughed with them: When my characters die, I cry with their loved ones. Sometimes, I hate myself for killing someone after building him or her; but I guess an author has got to do what she has got to do!
- I had lost interest in social life: There was a phase when I had stopped interacting with almost everyone. Literally… everyone! When I realized the sacrifices of an author, this is the first thing that I noticed.
- None of the authors can forget the peace in solitude: Loneliness kills, but not when you are an author or a writer. I think most of the authors feel good when they are alone and at peace in their solitude. I am sure a lot of authors are going to agree with me.
- Every little thing has been felt by me: Even when a leaf slips from the tree and falls down on the ground, I feel its tender moves. In fact, I have counted the number of times it sways in the wind before reaching the ground.
- I am addicted to words now: Tell me to go an hour without writing anything and I can’t do it. The moment I stop writing is the time I start feeling restless.
Have you got a list of sacrifices of an author? Do share!