such a special comfort kris!!

it's crazy how non writers don't get how difficult and weird and lonely and frustrating writing is 😅 I NEED writing friends bc nobody gets it! it makes me feel extra lonely bc I can't even bounce ideas off of people 😭

I don't usually leave comments anywhere. But ever since finding your channel a couple of months ago, I have watched and rewatched your videos over and over again. As you said, writing is a solitary vocation, and what I do nowadays is leave your video in the background when I get down to write. While your tips inform my writing, your insights validate my own inner thoughts. And I know you are used to getting similar messages but no harm in reading one more! All to say, you deserve your flowers 🌷

Kris, I am so happy you talked about this! While I am not a writer, working in the creative field as an artist leaves me feeling lonely as well at times. I relate so much to what you’ve shared ❤

I swear that’s why I watch these writerly videos so much instead of writing - because of the isolation

The high on writing thing is so real!! It only happens to me every once in a while but when it does I feel like a true writer

Your discussion videos always land with a part of me that not a lot of people understand 😊 I'm introverted by nature with the added bonus of social anxiety and finding a small group of writing friends in the past year is probably the first time I haven't felt like an outsider! how you spoke of loneliness and there not being an instant reward is something I struggle with too, as well as those thoughts that pop up asking 'what if I'm doing all of this for nothing?". the books I write become so intertwined with my mind that I start to wonder whether it'll be impossible for someone else to 'get' them because I'm so far removed from having an objective viewpoint. I think what I'm trying to say is that this video SPOKE to me. On a molecular level. To be a writer is to have all of your eggs in one basket, despite the recommendation of the rest of the world 😅

I've always felt like I was alone in feeling this way-especially when it comes to the fear that life is passing by without me. You're definitely not alone in feeling this way Kris!

So many feels in this. Writer friends help me stay sane and grounded in the crazy world of being an author, that's for sure. No one else gets what it's like.

I have many writing friends, but so much of this video resonates! It’s so important to write what makes us happy! I also write intimate character-driven stories, but a lot of it is about grief and trauma. I absolutely love this video! 💜💕

Year 2!!! 🎉 Congratulations Kris. Also im here checking in when u do make writing vlogs, editing videos or chatting with us your lil loving community 😀❤

❤ totally understand a d get those highs and lows as a writer. Im getting back into my writing flow! Sooo yay 🎉 Take your time girl thanks for sharing and breaks matter. I can relate to comparison and focusing too much on social media/ not writing much cause of fears and feeling not enough 😢

this was such a joy to watch 💗:)

I agree. I would still choose writing too. Also, I agree that it is important to have someone to talk to about our writing, or not only do we feel lonelier, but it can keep us stuck. Thanks for this video. I'm glad you're enjoying your KZfaq breaks!

gosh, I feel this video hard. I don't know if you remember me but I believe I commented on one of your videos a long while ago saying I was gonna start uploading my own writing stuff on my channel but never ever got around to it. One of the reasons is because it takes away from actually writing! The loneliness really got to me. I moved to a new place but even where I was before I didn't go out. I had to reflect on my relationships and cut off contact with some people and it was such a solitary and depressing time. And when things got better being in a new place and not knowing anyone, I would fill my free time with more writing. Dug myself into a pit where social life was nonexistence. If it weren't for my online friends, I don't know where I'd be and I dread thinking about it. To combat some of the writing loneliness, a friend and I have started to plan a story that may become a video game, who knows! Just yesterday we were on a long call to tackle to plot. Since we are also artists we've also drawn some character references. It's been pretty exciting and gives me something to look forward to. Bouncing ideas back and forth with a friends has been great. I don't really talk about my ideas with people in my real life and its isolating. I'd love to be able to meet up with friends at a cafe and chat about wips... but its just not in the cards for me at the moment. I'm still slowly getting through my novel ideas but gosh when that loneliness hits, its hard to even turn on my laptop or pick up a pen ahhh

as an artist/business owner I'm having almost all of the same thoughts and emotions lately 😅😅 especially when I find myself spending time on my art or shop and wondering whether it's solely for enjoyment or more so for the purpose of "moving forward". and where those two intersect/how much it's okay for them to intersect, if that makes sense. anyway this was a fantastic video and well said!

Ahhh I loved this video!! Thanks for sharing and being so personal with us ❤ “It’s not normal to spend 10 hours starting at a screen.” LOL oh man the age old *is this what a non-writer’s life is like* Yeah I agree with pretty much everything you said!! I think there’s a fine line between posting on social media and finding a writing community versus the writing itself and I’m also still trying to navigate that too :’) I think the reason why I have been loving short fiction and poetry recently is because I can execute those ideas in a fun-motivational manner, full of passion and the god of my world LOL since those projects tend to be short. I also find myself having less novel ideas recently, because there is sooo much depth and what you said about the ideas needing to be fermented before pursuing an idea. I’ve been feeling impatient with my book :( Sometimes I’m so focused on finishing a project and the practicality of writing that I lose sight of why I am writing it at all 🥺 Also non-writer friends thinking writing is just done like that. I know exactly what you mean LOL everytime someone asks I’m just like yeah…still working on it 😂

The happiness thing, ooh. It's something that I want to feel, because I know I like writing however I feel as though the majority of the time I write, I don't feel that like happiness. You know. I think, no I know that for me writing typically just brings a sense of calm and just you know, like chill vibes. And while I like that, I also want to feel happiness... Lmao I think it also has to do with what you said about craft, and about knowing what you like/ playing around with different things, different ideas.

"Is this what it feels like to be a normal human being?" 🤣🙌🏼

comment part 2/2 I am seldom put together, but it's not really about being put together. The sad reality is that it's more about aiming the best parts of yourself at the target, knowing full well the shit parts of yourself will spill onto the playing field and ... hey ... you might as well use them as decoys. At parties people will go, "you're writing a book? bruh, that's lit!" when the fact remains THEY are romanticizing the process, otherwise they'd ask you meaningful questions which would force you (in a good way) to go through the party in a slightly more sober state. The best thing about the outside world and social outings? They don't revolve around you ... they don't apply pressure to your life by grinding to a dead halt when you're absent. This is why it disappoints me whenever a writer becomes narcissistic, instead of enjoying introversion for the skeleton key it is to social doors. And trust me Kris, you're not a narcissist. Yet. Although my true envy is for the writers brave enough to take mountains of time (as in on a scale of 1 to James Joyce, they score a 7 or 8), I also believe there are advantages to deadlines. ESPECIALLY in making sure you're doing your best. But that's an entire discussion unto itself. We the authors sacrifice being normal. But when a self-proclaimed normal person tells me they regret not chasing their dreams, I know what they're talking about. They become parents who live vicariously through their children, the way my parents did. That's fucking scary. Thank you for popping on today, Kris. 💙💙 This time spent in your company was rewarding.

Every chapter headline hitting. OOF.

so relatable! I've been thinking a lot about community lately and I completely agree with you. It's true that writing is lonely, but let's not forget that a big portion of canon authors were actually part of a community of writers, they did not grow on their own 🤎

I'm so glad you made a video on this, because this concept of loneliness and alienation is something I've been thinking about a lot recently. I was talking with my writing professor just yesterday about potentially pursuing an MFA next year. I'm graduating from university next month and intend to start working in a completely different industry, but my main love is for writing and I never got to experience an irl space of people who truly have a love for the craft. It has affected my writing a lot, and, like you, it can get very lonely at times. I'm still torn on whether or not I should apply this winter. Getting into a competitive but fully funded program would be amazing, but what are the other costs? How will it change me as a person as a writer? Will I even be able to write speculative fiction in the program? Who's to say I'm going to find the community I'm looking for? There's a lot to think about. I'm also (slowly) trying to make KZfaq videos and engage with the online writing community, but you've made an amazing point about how social media can negatively affect us as writers. Not sure what the solution is, but best of luck! I hope your writing hot streak continues 🫡