Take a look at your real reasons and make writing easier.
Photo by Thought Catalog on UnsplashIf writing is so hard there has to be a reason. A lot of people say if you struggle with writing or don’t enjoy it then you probably shouldn’t be doing it. If you love it, it should come easy, but does it really? Is that even true? I always thought the explanation of why writing was so tricky for me was because I wasn’t smart enough, I don’t have an MFA, and no real experience. But, when I thought about it, I realized other things are standing in my way.
Everyone is different and we have our reasons why it’s difficult. We all lead our own lives, we all have obstacles. In the end, they’re still reasons and they nevertheless make writing problematic.
If you want to write and make it a little bit easier you need to know why writing is so challenging for you. Once you know what stands in your way you can figure out how to resolve it and maybe writing will come easy for you.
Writing Schedule
Like any job, you wouldn’t show up whenever you feel like it, do the work occasionally, and not take writing seriously. So why are you treating writing with such disregard?
I always treated writing as if it wasn’t an important job. One that I would go to 9 to 5 and just collect a paycheck and have no other interest in. Except, I wouldn’t show up for the 9 to 5, I was always calling in sick and taking vacation days. I should have been treating it like the most important job I’ve ever been hired to do. And with that comes a schedule, which I’ve never had for writing, and that may be why writing is so hard for me.
I always treated writing as if it wasn’t an important job. One that I would go to 9 to 5 and just collect a paycheck and have no other interest in. Except, I wouldn’t show up for the 9 to 5, I was always calling in sick and taking vacation days. I should have been treating it like the most important job I’ve ever been hired to do. And with that comes a schedule, which I’ve never had for writing, and that may be why writing is so hard for me.
Consistency
It’s not easy to keep things up and be good at them when you don’t do them consistently. To be great at something you have to do it constantly.
I have trouble being consistent, I love a routine but once something gets thrown into the mix which screws that up then I cannot be consistent whatsoever.
I have trouble being consistent, I love a routine but once something gets thrown into the mix which screws that up then I cannot be consistent whatsoever.
Where to Start
To have a schedule you need to know what to put on the schedule, when you’re going to do it, and why you’re going to do it.
That is something I struggle with. I don’t know where to start. I feel like I’m always doing it wrong because I don’t feel I’ve been properly educated and don’t know what to do.
For me to write I need absolute quiet, which is tough to find. Even out in the country, where I live, there are sounds; airplanes overhead, cows mooing, dogs barking, a TV on in the house, my daughter playing, my husband snoring. I wish I could write in chaos, I can’t.
Focus
For me to write I need absolute quiet, which is tough to find. Even out in the country, where I live, there are sounds; airplanes overhead, cows mooing, dogs barking, a TV on in the house, my daughter playing, my husband snoring. I wish I could write in chaos, I can’t.DND
I don’t get my do not disturb time or respect from the people in my household to understand when I’m writing, when I am creating something, I need time to focus. I need zero distractions.
When I sit down to think about what to write I have messy, jumbled thoughts in my head which need to be sorted through. I have so many ideas and plans, I want to do everything, and I can’t focus on just one thing or organize the entire thing.
Life Stress
It’s tough to focus when you can’t stop thinking about the ordinary stresses of life. Maybe some meditation and relaxation techniques would cease my dwelling on the everyday.
Organizing
When I sit down to think about what to write I have messy, jumbled thoughts in my head which need to be sorted through. I have so many ideas and plans, I want to do everything, and I can’t focus on just one thing or organize the entire thing.Writing Systems
I know I learned about mind mapping, outlining, story structure, and things like that in school but I always thought those were used for writing essays. I thought I should let the creativity flow. The more I write, the more I realize I should be using these systems that I’ve never had in place before.Writing is tricky when you have hindrances and don’t know what to do with them. Writing is especially troublesome when you have things standing in your way and you don’t even realize they are there.
Once you make a list of what your hurdles are and why they’re happening then you can see for yourself what is holding you back.
Figure out a solution, maybe eliminate or alter the things that are making writing complicated, and find the motivation or the help you need to make writing work for you.