Writing is hard. It’s really, really difficult to come up with an idea and then actually put it to paper. I’m not here to tell you anything different. But something I’ve learned over the years from editing and coaching dozens of writers is that a lot of the difficulty we assign to writing tasks is all in our heads.
Is writing a challenge that not everyone can overcome? Absolutely. Writing is work, and if you commit to it, you’re going to face a lot of hurdles trying to get to where you want to be. But some of the obstacles standing in your way are making things a lot harder than they need to be … and above all, we are the ones most responsible for that. It’s not your fault, though! I promise. We’re very good at telling ourselves we can’t do hard things, and as you likely already know, that sure doesn’t help get things done.
Writing Itself Is the Easy Part
I know, I know; this isn’t the case for everyone. But for most writers, it’s not the actual writing that stands between an aspiring writer and a published author; it’s the “figuring out how to sit down and actually start writing” part.
Writing a story is easy once you actually sit down and do the thing. That’s not where most people’s struggles begin. Ten years ago, I could write thousands of words a day because I didn’t have a ton of responsibilities outside of work or school. Making writing a priority was easy. It’s not easy now. I have to squeeze my novel-writing sessions in before I start work in the morning. I get fifteen, maybe twenty minutes to pour out what I can onto that page, and then I have to move on. It’s no longer easy. But I wouldn’t say it’s hard, either.
The key is to figure out a schedule and set of systems that work for you … and a way to stick to them once you’ve figured out what they are.
Every Writer Needs a Different Motivator
Giving writing advice about how to actually write — which seems like a simple concept on the surface but really isn’t deep down — is complicated. What works for one person might not work for someone else. I can sit here and give you all the tips in the world that I’ve mined from my personal and professional writing experience, but just because something has been highly effective for me doesn’t mean anyone else will resonate with it.
You have to put in the effort to find strategies that work for you specifically if you want writing to happen for you. Another task, I know. But once you figure it out, writing actually does get easier. Whether it’s creating a schedule (putting a writing session in your calendar actually works for some people), creating a reward system (you get one M&M every time you write 200 words), or some combination of tricks, the best and most successful writers all have their own methods for putting their ideas into words. Once you find yours, you might also discover that sitting down to write maybe isn’t quite as difficult as you once believed.
The Lost Art of Daring to Write Terribly
A lot of people are afraid — now more than ever — of doing things wrong, or not doing them well. Even on the first try. Blaming social media makes me sound and feel much older than I am, but think about it. More than books and articles and the like, posts on social media tend to trick us into thinking the people we follow didn’t have to put a lot of effort into making themselves look good. Even when we know that isn’t true, it’s still all too easy to believe.
Writing terribly is an essential part of the journey through the writing life. Even your favorite, successful, best-selling authors usually write pretty awful first drafts. That’s why they’re called rough drafts. Many of the great books you read have been written, rewritten, and polished over countless rounds of editorial notes and revisions. A good book doesn’t happen overnight. And a good book can’t happen without writing a bad book first.
Do I think the book I’m writing now is good? Maybe the premise, but not the book itself. It’s not even done yet. But if I spent all my writing time caring about whether or not every sentence was publishable, I wouldn’t be close to hitting the 25,000- word mark. Get over your belief that you have to write well all the time. Write bad stuff. That’s how you eventually get around to producing really good stuff. It just might take a while.
Meg Dowell Writes 