Summary

The article discusses the internal struggle and resistance writers may face that prevents them from writing, despite their passion and ability.

Abstract

The article delves into the psychological resistance that writers can encounter, which manifests as an inability or unwillingness to write despite recognizing writing as their calling and gift. It emphasizes that the solution to this resistance is not always to force oneself to write more. The author shares personal experiences of grappling with this resistance, which at times led to an identity crisis. The piece suggests that taking a step back, practicing self-compassion, and exploring the underlying causes of one's resistance can be more beneficial than pushing through the block. It also touches on the vulnerability of writing and how deeply held beliefs or fears about others' perceptions can inhibit the writing process. The author advocates for introspection and personal development as tools for overcoming writing resistance, acknowledging that sometimes, not writing can also be a form of healing.

Opinions

Writing resistance is a common experience among writers and can be a sign of deeper issues such as self-sabotage or fear of judgment.
The author believes that it's important to acknowledge and address the emotional and psychological barriers to writing, rather than simply trying to write through them.
Taking a break from writing to engage in self-inquiry and reflection can be crucial in overcoming resistance and moving forward.
The article suggests that working with a coach or mentor can provide valuable insights and help writers work through their blocks.
The author emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and curiosity in understanding and overcoming the resistance to writing.
Writing is seen as a vulnerable act that can bring up unprocessed emotions and past traumas, making it a challenging form of personal development.
The author posits that healing can come from both writing and not writing, depending on the individual's needs and circumstances.

What If You Don’t Feel Like Writing?

The answer isn’t always writing more

You know that you were born to write.

You have a writing ability that not many people do. You might even know that it’s your gift.

The idea here isn’t that you can’t write but it’s something that’s going on in your life that’s preventing you from writing.

It’s not that you can’t write. You just don’t want to.

You don’t even know what it is that’s stopping you.

You’re deep in the thick of resistance and feeling paralyzed about putting words to paper or the screen.

All you can do is read other people’s writing and lament that you’re not writing yourself.

You don’t get it. You’re creative, you’re gifted, you have the right words, you even have the ideas but the words are just not coming out of you.

The inner resistance can paralyze the writer in you

I was there a couple of years ago myself.

I was deep in the thick of resistance. I would find myself on the floor trying to type on my laptop but couldn’t get a word out. I was also at a point in my life where I wanted to quit my job and write.

Months before leaving my full-time job, I’d find myself on the floor curled up like a baby instead of writing. I wondered what was wrong with me. All I would have needed was a bottle of wine and a cigarette to have embraced the life of a struggling writer.

It was a struggle to get through many days at a time without writing. I knew my craft was writing, my purpose was writing, and my future was writing. I knew that I couldn’t waste a gift that I’d be given. I knew I couldn’t waste a precious resource that I had.

Yet there I was curled up on the floor. With each passing day, I wouldn’t hit my daily word count or my minimum writing time requirements. Every day I’d beat myself up for not starting either.

I felt paralyzed and frustrated that some kind of invisible resistance was getting in the way between my writing and I.

Stepping away from the work you were called to do

You may have gone through something similar too or going through it right now.

You know that writing is your thing but you never do it or you stop doing it.

You continuously procrastinate and resist doing the very thing that lights you up in the world.

If you’re in this place of feeling stuck and like you’re not able to do your soul’s work, it’s perfectly okay to take a break.

When you’re facing your deepest writing demons, you have to step away from your writing.

Now would not be the time to read all of the “just keep writing” advice you hear.

Sometimes it’s resistance that’s keeping you from writing and other times it’s deeply held beliefs or self-sabotaging thoughts that make you question who you are.

Sometimes it’s the case of a little procrastination and other times, it becomes the question of who you are as a person. Sometimes it’s a habit that you stopped doing and other times it becomes an identity crisis.

Facing the resistance within

When not writing becomes an identity crisis and you don’t know why you’re not doing the thing you were called to do, then take some time away and step back.

Instead of doing anything, don’t do a thing. What it took for me to recover from this place of being stuck in my life were curiosity and compassion for this place.

Instead of pushing ahead and trying to force myself to write, I inquired why I was having so much trouble writing. I asked these questions of myself, journaled about them, and reflected on them for months.

No answer really came out until I worked with a coach. She wasn't a writing coach but a life coach who helped me examine and explore the thing that was keeping me stuck.

I’m not sure how my resistance to writing took me down a rabbit hole of discovering my self-sabotage came from deeply held beliefs of what people would think of me.

Writing is vulnerable and sharing difficult things of your life with people isn’t for the faint of heart.

In my case, this fear grabbed my heart and paralyzed me from writing. Growing up in an Asian family that cared way too much about what others thought of us, I had this ingrained belief that I was fighting against.

My writing on my personal non-Medium blog was becoming a slog. I covered the topic of my divorce on that blog and the difficult subjects I spoke about there made it difficult to write on it.

The deeper I got into this blog, the more resistance I faced until I could no longer write.

The answer to not writing isn’t always writing more.

Sometimes, you have to take a few steps away from your writing and go within.

The roadblocks to your words may be much deeper than you believe them to be.

Instead of beating yourself up about not writing and tearing yourself down for not doing what you’re supposed to be doing in life, take a few steps back, take a deep breath and take some inventory.

Writing is one of the most difficult personal development challenges you can face.

You are sharing parts of yourself that are too raw for you to share.

You are called to share stories that are too painful for you to write.

Writing makes you go within, face parts of yourself that you may not have processed or healed yet.

Sometimes, all that’s required of you is to write.

Other times, be willing to not write.

Writing can heal. Sometimes, not writing can heal you too.

If you are stuck in your writing journey or life, check out my book How Do I Get Unstuck, available on Amazon.