Writing is interesting, but mehn! It is work.

Writing is hard.

Even the best writers think so.

It's very easy to imagine what to write, picture it in your head, deliver it perfectly in your head, but when it comes to putting it down in writing the real work begins.

Many times I've had ideas all bullet up in my head, but when it comes to penning it down the problem begins.

Hemingway said “There is nothing to writing. All you have to do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

I’m the type of writer who ponder a lot over my choice of word and topic in particular.

I read and reread my writing over and over again until the words lose meaning and I have nothing more to add. I edit my writings and save it a dozen times before I’m ready to publish.

Factors that causes delay in writing

• Crippling Perfectionist

  Perfectionism is not the same thing as striving to be your best. Perfection is not about healthy achievement and growth. 

  Try to advise a perfectionist that “to be done is better than to be perfect.”

  They’ll reply that nothing is better than being perfect, and that’s why it is perfect!

  It is nearly impossible for them to produce anything perfectly in any sense. In trying to make their writing perfect, their work will usually result in one perfect sentence in a piece which no one will ever want to read.

  Trying to be too perfect is exhausting. Even when you try to make some things perfect, they don’t end up that way. You just end up being annoyed and overwhelmed by the process. Sometimes you can be too spent to even start another write-up because you know that it will still end in tears. That’s the worst thing about those we call perfectionists.

  There is no cure for being a perfectionists. The only way to get over it is to slowly desensitize yourself. Allow your work to see the light of day not minding whether it is perfect or not.

  Show it to a trusted friend who you know will be supportive and can help you vet before publishing it. Make a limit to your edits. Get comfortable with your finished work.

  An advice I'll give her that helps me is to tell myself that there are no completely finished works and whatever I write is the best. Keeping this in mind allows me to publish things while calming my inner perfectionist spirit.

• Not being consistent in our writing schedule and being out of practice.

  Those of us who wait for who will praise us for what we write often get disappointed.

  Waiting on the perfect time, the right mood, or the retrograde to end may lead to not writing as much as we’d like. Or at all.

  We end up thinking about what to write, we want to write, we dream about writing, but not actually putting pen to paper or hands to keyboard very often.

  Days, or even weeks, may pass between writing sessions.

  Being out of practice or inconsistent with your writing schedule is a big reason for writing feeling difficult. 

  If you don’t use your writing skills, you lose it. The only way to keep your writing muscle strong is by actually exercising it. Doing so makes the whole process feel easier.

  Set a goal of writing each day, for any amount of time, and see how much progress you can make.

• Lack of confidence and fear of failure

  It can be very hard to stand behind what you've written.

  You have thoughts like; what if people don't like it?

  What if they call you the two most dreaded words of a writer-a bad writer?

  You'll get over it, I can promise you that. The thing about people's opinion is that everyone has one and they are not always true or of might not always be of help.

  Some of the world’s most beloved writers were considered bad because they did not follow the traditional grammar rules.

  Did it hurt these writers feelings that others didn’t like their work?

  Sure, I imagine it did. But they didn’t let people's criticisms or their personal lack of confidence to stop them from writing continously.

  Good writing matters a lot, but not as much as you might think. If you can make people feel things with what you write, it does not matter if it is perfect or not.

  People are imperfect judges of everything we do. One person’s masterpiece is another person’s problem. Don’t let potential haters bring you down. If you write for yourself first, you’ll always have at least one fan.

  One of my writing mottos is “feel the fear and do it anyway.” I’m always scared to share my work, but no matter the reaction I’m always glad I did. And, as a bonus, every time I put myself out there, it gets easier to do it again.

You’re not alone

Writing is not for the weary. Writing anything takes courage and eagerness. If it is hard for you to write, then it is hard for others too. The important thing is to show up, sit down, and try put down something.

You don’t have to reach any milestones to become a writer, as soon as you start writing, you are one.

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