Writing is hard. Not writing is harder.
- Lissa Cowan
- Feb 10
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 3
Sometimes it seems that the whole world is against us writing. There are interruptions from work, family---not to mention all the dings and pings on our phone from notifications. There's always something to do rather than write, and as it's just us plugging away on our own, who would miss it if we stopped?
Why we write
The answer is: we would miss it if we didn't do it.
There's something inside you that nudges you to write your story.
A voice that reminds you how much you enjoy it and how important it is for you to get your story down on paper or in your computer, and out there in the world. It's easy to ignore that voice that only we hear and to listen to the outside noise that surrounds us.
Yet when we ignore that voice, the inner longing, we're often left with regret and sadness.
As writers and emerging writers, we have a hunger to express ourselves through writing and explore our stories. We want to immerse ourselves in the stories that call to us to be told, become those characters (if you write fiction) and share those worlds with others.
It's not always easy to honour this hunger--but I'd argue it's necessary for our creative survival.
When we give ourselves time to write, we take care of our innermost needs. We say to ourselves, "I see you." What a gift!
Here are some practical ways to find time and space to write and what to do when it's hard to write:
Have a standing date with yourself. Tell others about it so that they know and will learn to respect it just as you do.
Say NO more often. Often we feel the need to say yes to every possible thing that comes our way. Putting boundaries between us and the world is healthy and shows that we also respect what's important to us.
Write in the early morning or evening when it's quiet. Sometimes the only times we have to write are when our familes and the world sleep. Taking 15 or 20 minutes in the morning or evening can help us dig into what we're writing and feed the craving to carve out even more time.
Tune into your writer's voice. Acknowledge the voice that tells you to write. Even if you can't at the moment take the time to write, tell the voice that you understand that writing is important and that you'll make space for it soon.
Join a writing group. Being in the company of other writers who all have a passion to write helps fuel that fire inside us. It also helps with accountability to meet our writing goals!
If you have writer's block, step away from your desk for an hour or so. Make a cup of tea, look out the window or go for a walk if you have time. Sometimes doing a reset is enough to get you back in the flow.
Examine why you're finding the writing hard. Is it lack of confidence or are you at a difficult point in the story? Try to determine why it's a struggle and address that part.
If it's a confidence issue, there are ways to talk to that voice in the head that says "why bother?" You can acknowledge the voice, say thank-you even, and tell them that you appreciate their insight but that you know what you're doing and would like to continue regardless.
Resistance visits every creator and writers are no different. Notice the resistance for what it is and continue. Keep in mind that often resistance comes just before a breakthrough!
Write something else. Sometimes when I'm at a difficult point in the story I'll write another scene and come back to that tricky one later. This often dislodges my block.
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