Don’t Write Like It’s Your Job—Write Because You Love It
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard or read the phrase “write like it’s your job.” The advice usually goes 
something like this: if you want to be a writer, you have to treat writing like a career. Get up early, stay up late, carve out every possible moment to write. In other words, write like it’s your job. And every time I hear it, I find myself saying: Um… NO!
Here’s the thing. I already have a job—a full-time job that drains my energy every single day. I’m a teacher. It’s exhausting, rewarding, frustrating, and inspiring, often all in the same afternoon. Just like I’m sure your job is hard work, too. We already give everything to our careers. We don’t need to put the same kind of pressure on our writing. Because writing isn’t my job—it’s my passion. And that makes all the difference.
Writing Isn’t Just Work, It’s Purpose
We write because we love to write. We write because the ideas in our heads won’t leave us alone until we put them down. Writing gives us a voice, a platform, a way to share the stories that fill our imaginations. That’s why we write. Not because someone told us to “write like it’s your job,” but because it fuels us. It gives us life. If I wrote like it was simply a task on my to-do list, the magic would disappear. Writing isn’t about clocking in and clocking out. It’s about passion, creativity, and purpose.
Of course, I know the appeal of the phrase. The people giving this advice mean well. They want us to take writing seriously. But here’s the truth: you don’t need to write like it’s your job to prove you’re serious. You need to write in a way that works for you. Maybe that means daily writing sprints. Maybe it means weekend writing marathons. Maybe it means jotting down ideas in between soccer practice and dinner prep. However you do it, it’s valid. The act of writing itself makes you a writer.
The Dream of Writing as a Job
I’ll admit it: like most writers, I have big dreams. I’d love to be the next J.K. Rowling, James Patterson, or Nora Roberts. For them, writing is their job—and their careers have changed the literary world. But for those of us still working day jobs, chasing publishing deals, or writing because we love it, the reality looks very different. And that’s okay. If you want to see what it looks like when writing is the career, just take a peek at J.K. Rowling’s journey. She turned her imagination into a job, but it all started as passion.
Until then, I don’t need to write like it’s your job. I just need to write because it’s who I am. Because when something inside me demands to be written, I find the time, no matter how busy life gets. I write because I can’t not write. And to me, that’s more powerful than treating it like a paycheck.
Finding What Works for You
Some people thrive when they wake up an hour earlier to write. Others find their creative energy late at night when the house is quiet. I know myself, and I know I can’t consistently force myself into those routines. That’s why I don’t write like it’s your job—because I already have a job, and I give everything I can to that work. When I sit down to write, it isn’t out of obligation. It’s because I want to. And that freedom makes my words stronger.
I once reflected on this same idea in another post about mindset, motivation, and passion: Thinking Positive: Take the Journey Into Positivity. Just like positivity, writing isn’t something that comes from pressure—it comes from passion. When you stop seeing it as a chore, you rediscover the joy in it.
Writing Beyond the Job
At the end of the day, I don’t need to be the next household name author to feel like my writing matters. I just need to honor the passion I feel for storytelling. That means ignoring the pressure to “write like it’s your job” and instead writing like it’s my calling. Because that’s what it really is—a calling, a purpose, a creative fire that doesn’t burn out even when I’m exhausted from everything else in life.
If you love to write, don’t let anyone convince you that you’re not serious unless you treat it like work. You don’t have to write like it’s your job—you just have to write like it matters to you. Write when you can. Write because you want to. Write because your stories deserve to exist. And that will always be enough.
Final Thoughts
Teaching is my job. Writing is my passion. And while I may never sit down and treat writing with the rigid discipline of a nine-to-five, I will always make time for it because it brings me joy. So no, I won’t write like it’s your job. I’ll write like it’s my heart, my passion, and my reason for being. And that’s exactly the way it should be.
For more writing encouragement and strategies, check out this guide to writing inspiration. Because at the end of the day, the best writing isn’t work—it’s love.
