It’s November which means it’s National Novel Writing Month AKA NaNoWriMo. ✏ I feel like so many of my friends are participating this year, and it made me think about how so many readers and book reviewers are also aspiring writers. Everyone is always talking about their WIP and ideas that are bouncing around in their heads…and I can’t relate. 😕 
Let me begin by saying that I’m so proud of these bloggers because their story ideas just sound so fun to read, and despite the self-placed pressure, I think it’s incredible how everyone is so ambitious and creative. ✨ In a way, I see my friends as brave because physically writing your story is the first step to sharing it with the world and that involves being vulnerable with your readers. I get extremely excited hearing about the plots and original characters everyone is drafting. Plus, the storyboards and aesthetic posts make my day because they’re so beautiful. 📸🌸 I get so happy at the prospect of being able to support my friends in their creative endeavors!
That being said, I can’t really relate to everyone who’s going through the hustle and bustle of NaNoWriMo. I think it’s an amazing event to create solidarity around a well-loved activity for aspiring authors and sparks some much passion and motivation, but I don’t have a burning desire to create a story. I’m simply content with reading books. ☺ I don’t have any ideas bouncing around in my head or any characters that are dying to be written. It’s not that I have writer’s block or am stuck in my thoughts, but I feel balanced in my current state of reading.
What if I’m only a reader and not a writer?
Truthfully, I had a moment where I thought I should be writing something. 📚 I would sit around and feel FOMO because not only was I behind on reading but now, I was also behind on writing. I thought that I should be fantasizing these unique characters in my mind and planning their great adventure. I wondered whether my creativity was limited to only imagining worlds that others had already created. I felt weird being unable to imagine my own. 
Point blank…those thoughts were ridiculous. Authors are amazing people, and writing is hard! 🌟 I encourage writing about your passions and whatever you want to read. Write about whatever ignites a spark in your heart or flickers on that lightbulb in your mind…but don’t feel compelled to write a story. It’s okay to not want that in your life right now. Be a cheerleader for your friends! Support the amazing new and upcoming releases! The world needs readers as much as it needs writers, so go at your own pace. ☺
ARE YOU CURRENTLY WRITING ANYTHING? DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A WRITER? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS! 💕
Read By Tiffany 
I feel the same way, Tiffany. I don’t feel like I have any new stories to share with the world but that’s okay because that means I can support some wonderful authors and friends who do have some stories that represent them ❤ If I have a new shining idea, I write it down but those are very very few.
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Exactly! Time saved from writing goes towards reading 😂We’re supporting all our friends and authors 😉 I think it’s great that you have ideas to write down too! Thanks so much for reading my post ❤
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Love this discussion post, Tiffany! I feel similarly to you. I love reading, but I (kinda) hate writing, haha. 🙈 I love writing blog posts, don’t get me wrong, but I can’t imagine writing an entire story or novel. I’m perfectly content with supporting my friends’ writing endeavors. 😊 Great post! 💓
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Aww thanks Dezzy! I definitely agree. I don’t think I’m a strong writer. Even when I compare my reviews to other people’s, I’m like…HOW ARE THEY SO ELOQUENT?! Still, I think blogging is a great way to improve writing overall, and we get to support all the other amazing aspiring writers 🙂 ❤
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This is a great post Tiffany, I love it ❤ I have to say that I can’t really relate to everything you’ve said here, because I am one of these people with stories inside of me just as much as books in front of me 🙈 and, even if I am not one of these people engaged into writing so much and writing a lot every day and all the time, I am definitely working on stories and would love to become a writer someday. I get what you mean though about the writing pressure, and seeing a lot of bloggers being aspiring writers, too. I know that when I don’t write – which happens to me fairly often – I feel a bit, guilty that I’m not writing while others seem to always be working towards that goal. I get that frustration a little bit. However, I think that we can’t all want to write and it’s completely okay not to want to tell your story right now, or ever, in any kind of books. We’re all here because we’re readers, before anything else. At least I am 🙂
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Marie! You know that you’re one of the aspiring writers I’m 110% looking forward to supporting 😉 and am currently supporting 🙈 I guess it’s just natural of us as humans to compare even though there’s really no need to. You definitely shouldn’t compare yourself either! It’s important to go at your own pace, and it’ll let you put out your best quality too 🙂 I already love everything that I’ve heard about your book!
Thank you so so much for reading this post! I hope you’re been doing well too ❤
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Aww you’re too sweet Tiffany, thank you, this means a lot!! ❤
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Amen to this post, really!
Although I sometimes have this idea in my head for a story, I never go through with it. I might start writing my idea down so I have it in a file. Sometimes I even work on it for a couple of days! But after that? It simply disappears into the void of random files on my pc, really.
I don’t have this need to write stories, to come up with worlds / characters and create adventures. Not at all. I enjoy reading way more than I do writing and thinking plots / worlds / characters / whatever. Nothing wrong with that! I don’t think I’ll ever change my mind about it either. I simply see myself as someone who occasionally has this idea that has to be “let out” and then lets go of it. A bit different than what you do, probably, but in a lot of ways still the same, haha. 🙂
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Aww thank you so much Kathy!! You’re too sweet ❤
I definitely agree. There are little sparks in my mind where I come up with an idea that might lead somewhere, but at the core of it, I don't have a need to write. I'm like you where I enjoy reading way more than writing! I guess it just really depends on the person. The thing is I"ll never know the actual struggle of writing, so I'm just left with bugging authors to release more of my favorites 🙈😅
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Haha! Well, you might see it as bugging them, but maybe they secretly see it as motivating them? I can imagine needing some pushes in the back once in a while when a story isn’t written as easily as they want it to!
Someone recently told me she always had different ideas and such as well – like we apparently both have – until there was this ONE idea she couldn’t get rid of and that’s been her WIP ever since. Like.. Maybe that’ll happen to us someday? Eventually? [I kind of hope not to be honest. Writing seems stressful..]
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I love this discussion! Recently one of my friends asked me if I want to write a book, when I told her that I don’t, she asked me why. I’m simply not made of a writer, I really struggle to put together a simple essay for school not to mention a whole book. Some people are only meant to be readers and that’s fine, I’m happy and proud to be a reader! 🙂
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Ahh it makes me so happy to hear that you enjoyed reading this 💖 I definitely understand you with the whole essays for school stuff. It’s my least favorite type of assignment 😅 Of course, essay writing is different from story writing, but I don’t think I’m very good at either. 🙈 I think the world really does need us as readers!
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Lovely discussion, Tiffany! I honestly feel the exact same way! I adore reading, but I never had much desire to write stories of my own. Part of me wishes I was a great writer, but I never seem to have many creative ideas of my own, and I’m afraid I wouldn’t have the patience to write a full length novel. Haha! I do love supporting everyone in the community who is a writer and love seeing their progress and the characters they share as well! 💕
Hope you’re having a wonderful day, love! ❤️
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Thanks Kelly! Even though we’re not writers, it’s definitely just as important to have readers like us. 🙂 We shouldn’t force ourselves to write if we don’t feel compelled to otherwise it’ll lack that spark! ✨
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I don’t think everyone was made to be a writer and that’s completely ok! You don’t need to feel bad about not wanting to write. I feel like with readers, there is just the stereotype that we also want to become writers. And sometimes that might be true, but not always. I just recently (about two years ago) became interested in writing my own stories, but I’m currently in no shape to be writing. I’m just waiting for the right time to present itself so I can fully put my time and efforts into writing. That being said, don’t feel bad for not wanting to write. It’s totally normal and ok to be a reader, but not a writer! ❤️
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Aww thanks for the calming words Hannah ❤ I definitely do agree that many people simply associate readers = writers. It's definitely not a bad association, but we have to see whether or not we're ready! I'm wishing you the best of luck in all your writing endeavors ❤ Keep everyone updated~
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You’re welcome! And thank you so much I definitely will! ❤️
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Tiffany, this post speaks to me lol! I love it! I always feel like I should be writing too, especially when November comes around, but I just don’t feel like I have any stories to tell right now… or maybe ever!
Thanks so much for sharing this❤️ it’s so insightful and really makes me feel better about not wanting to be a writer!
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Brianna!! I hope you’ve been doing well ❤ Thank goodness it's almost Thanksgiving right? Do you get a break too?
I'm so glad to hear that you can relate to this post 🙂 It's okay because we can be readers togetherrrrrr ❤ We can write if we ever feel like it, but no rush for us both 🙂
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I can relate so much, Tiffany, thank you for writing this!❤️I used to love writing, but in the last year or so I’ve just become so busy that it’s no longer part of my daily routine- and consequently, I’ve pretty much stopped writing. I miss it, but like you said, for now I’m satisfied with reading everyone else’s post about their WIPs and just reading my books. 🙂
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THANK YOU FOR SUCH SWEET WORDS OLIVIA 😭😍 I think it’s definitely okay to focus on what is most important to you in the moment 🙂 Authors need readers like us! I hope you have a happy thanksgiving ❤
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I feel this! At the moment I am content to read, blog, and discuss with others. 🙂 If I somehow get the idea for a new story or want to share my own in the future, I’ll follow where that path leads. For now, though, I’m happy to blog, especially as a student. Lovely post!
claire @ clairefy
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Thanks Claire! I definitely agree ❤ Being a student already is a huge time commitment and so much of our free time goes towards studying and if lucky, reading! I think it's great that we're happy where we're at now 🙂
Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!! ❤
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First off, I can’t even begin to tell how happy this post made me feel!!! Like, I literally felt like the only booklover who doesn’t want to be an author?? It almost felt like a FLAW to have read hundreds of books but not have any inclination or creativity to be able to write up fiction. Probably also one of the reasons why I revere authors. I mean, the ability to touch millions of lives like that, make them laugh and cry and hope and dream using just your words legit sounds like a superpower. Maybe someday I too will have a story to tell. But for now, I am absolutely content to be only a reader 😇
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Hello!! I’m so sorry that I’m replying to your comment so late, but I’m so glad that you could relate to my feelings!! I think so many people in the book community want to become an author (which is awesome), but I think it also can unintentionally create a pressure where we as readers see it as the next goal?? if that makes sense?? but yes! I’m glad that we can enjoy being fellow readers~ ❤
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Tiffany, I love this post and all your thoughts! I feel like it should never be pressuring to write your own story if you just want to read. I used to be very much like that too. ❤
I do write a lot more now and am participating in NaNoWriMo this year with a dystopian novel. I guess you could say I never really got out of my 2012 dystopian phase, haha. 🙂
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Aww thank you, Humnah! I’m glad that we have such similar thoughts 🥰
Good luck with NaNoWriMo this year!
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