5 reasons writers have better lives

Being a writer is pretty great.

It’s not just a job; it’s a way of life. I’d say being a writer actually makes your life better.

Having a background in journalism or communication offers more life skills than you might think. It goes beyond asking questions or being curious—it gets right down to the nitty-gritty of leading a fun, interesting life.

Recently, Roula Amire, who is managing editor of Ragan.com, and I decided that it doesn’t matter if we can’t build a bookshelf, cook a duck, or know the quadratic formula (or whatever it is)—what matters is that we can write.

Here’s why:

You know how to party.

If you’ve been a reporter, you know what it’s like to stand in the middle of a cornfield, wander around a crime scene, or spend five hours at a city commission meeting. You know how to scan an area and figure out who will talk to you and who won’t.

This skill makes you better at going to networking events and crashing parties. You make the best out of any situation—you’ll always wind up finding the most entertaining person to talk to, no matter where you go. Basically, after every Saturday night, you’ll wind up with a story.

You can talk about anything.