A Bit of Sunday Writing Encouragement

Because I need a pep talk, too.

Are you a writer? Do you feel sometimes writing is hard? Maybe frequently? You feel stuck, blocked, let down by yourself? Yes?

Then, this article is for you!

Hi, I’m Meghan. In today’s article, let’s explore the reasons why writing may be kicking your butt.

You’re Overthinking It

Honestly, this is probably it and the rest of my points will be moot, and you can stop reading now if you want. Writing is intuitive. To write, you just have to… write. It really is as simple as that. Don’t think about what you should be writing, or whether or not that space adventure story is going to sound good when you get it out on paper (psst, spoiler alert: it won’t but you can fix it later). Write about your day or write about your dream from last night. Just close your brain and get a draft out. Try it right now. Don’t think about where the commas should go. Don’t think about whether that last sentence made any sense. Edit later, write now. Right now.

You’re Out of Ideas

Ok, so this one is pure illusion. Assuming you are human, you have a creative human brain. Therefore, you can never be out of ideas. I’ll say that again, louder this time: YOU CAN NEVER BE OUT OF IDEAS! Try my little creative writing exercise if you don’t believe me. List out a bunch of things you did today, or yesterday if you’re reading this in the morning. These events are still fresh in your mind and are easy to jot down quickly. For example, yesterday I took my kids to the mall. While we were there, we ate lunch, said hi to my little sister who works in the mall at a shoe store, and window-shopped at Boxlunch.

Start jotting down another list. Write out things you wish you could do, things that transcend boring practicality and are just complete and utter dreams. I’ll go: live in a European castle with a moat full of pet manatees, meet The Beatles, ride a Ferris wheel on the moon, sleep in a cloud city, walk around in my made-up sci-fi fantasy land.

Now connect the two. Find ways you can turn these thoughts — ideas — into a piece of writing, a novel even. Play around and have fun with it. What really happened when you went to the mall? Did you eat lunch and talk to your sister, or did you and your children walk unwittingly into an alternate reality where the mall is a space airport? They just built a new amusement park on the moon, and you’ll be among the first to check it out, but you need to hurry to the customer service counter right now.

Maybe the mall is a time machine and walking through the entrance transports you to the past. Suddenly, it’s 1964. The mall is now a hotel lobby, and The Beatles are right there answering questions at a press conference. You and your kids’ sudden appearance cause a commotion even bigger than The Beatles, looking very strange in your 21st century clothes and smartphones. A reporter pushes you to the front of the crowd to ask you questions, too. And you’re standing inches away from The Beatles! George Harrison whispers in your ear to tell you you’re stepping on his foot. Oh, sorry George!

Don’t think, just write. Somewhere between reality and dreams lies a wealth of writing material. Creativity is just like any muscle in your body: it’s always there, but it’s a lot more useful if you exercise it regularly.

Also, don’t steal my manatee castle moat idea.

If you want to go the non-fiction route, make a list of all the things that you find difficult — from idea creation to tying sailor knots. If you struggle with cooking, write an article about how to make cooking easier, or faster, or cheaper. Teaching through writing with your own voice is a great way to explore your creative process, and helps you deal with your own problems at the same time. If you don’t understand a subject enough, you have Google. Writing always requires research of some kind; it’s unavoidable. You have an imagination, but sometimes you need to bridge the gap of your own knowledge to make your writing believable. And you need people to believe you.

You’re Intimidated by Other Writers and You’re Panicking Because You Don’t Think You’re Any Good Compared to Them

Dude, chill. Once upon a time, all writers sucked at writing. You’re actually probably a better writer right now than when those other “good” writers first started out. Everyone has a ground zero. Everyone has a place to start from. If you’re on Medium, you probably already started your writing journey, and whatever you’re trying to write right now isn’t your first-ever attempt. You found Medium because you want to grow.

Most of us had to write something in school as children, whether it was a writing portfolio or journal entries in English class, an essay on how the American Revolution led to the French Revolution or why pigs can’t fly; maybe you were lucky enough to have your short story about a little lost princess picked for a school newsletter (so technically you ARE a published writer) or maybe a college professor like your book review so much he submitted it to an academic journal. The point is you probably aren’t starting at square one; this is just one episode on your journey to being the writer you know you are inside.

You’re Too Lazy to Do the Work of Writing

Well, no one can help you with that one. However, I have a feeling if you believe this, the problem is not because you’re lazy. You’re overwhelmed with the writing process or one of the other issues from above is actually the culprit. Therefore, you’re procrastinating having to face your problems.

Life can be overwhelming, too. Many of us are trying to write amid other responsibilities and concerns. Blocking out the world long enough to get a body of writing finished can be painfully difficult. But this, too, is part of the work of writing. Finding that time, organizing your life in such a way that you can actually — finally — get some thoughts out. That is work. Sometimes you have to give something up or make someone wait for you or unburden yourself from a commitment. How much is writing worth to you? How much do you really need in your life? Ask yourself these emotionally difficult questions in order to clear your path to write and write well.

You can write about all your painful struggles later, after you become a best-selling celebrity author and your publisher is begging for your memoirs.

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment to let me know what you think! To get more from me, grace me with a follow. I also write for The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram as Meggiebeth_Writes.