Being a writer is sometimes seen as an elite title reserved for wordsmiths who curate ideas and structure words perfectly on paper, yet often new writers find a different reality, one which is quite difficult.
Why is writing so difficult? Writing is filled with many hurdles such as a lack of confidence, harsh criticism, loneliness, and writer’s block. These all lead to it being a hard career to get into. However, it is not all doom and gloom. Writing can be fairly easy and fulfilling too.
Too often, writing is given a romantic notion of sitting in front of your laptop tapping away at the keys in a second story room with a view of a lush garden and birds singing outside. Or, you may dream of a similar setting in an artsy coffee shop.
The main point of the dream is that your fingers are flying over the keyboard, the words spilling out of your mind like a fast-flowing river full of abundant and creative ideas. You pause to take a sip of never-ending coffee, look up for inspiration, and find it immediately.
This is why being a writer is hard. The dream given to aspiring writers is often a scene found in fiction books written by the very same writers who have agonized over empty pages on numerous occasions.
So, why do they create this wonderful idea if the reality isn’t true? They create it because they are brilliant writers.
The Romanticized Writer vs The Struggling Writer
The beauty of being a writer is that both these realities were created by writers themselves. As a writer, you have the ability to create truths that society often takes on as fact.
Surely you’ve read a book with the grand image of a writer in the countryside typing away furiously. Then, you’ve probably also read the scene of the down and out writer in a dark one-bedroom apartment struggling to find the words to write.
Either can be true and also neither can be true. As with any career path, writing offers its obstacles and hardships, but you can overcome all of these. The amount of work and effort you put in determines whether you struggle or flourish.
When is Writing Easy?
The easy part of writing is usually seen when you hit your flow and the words start pouring out onto the page you are typing or writing on, but this outpouring of information doesn’t last forever.
Writing is also the easiest when you press send and off goes your draft. That is to say, it is easy until the editor sends back a paper covered in red marks berating your poor use of grammar and the fact you can’t seem to place your commas correctly.
Nevertheless, the hard parts of writing can be rectified fairly easily. All it takes is discipline and patience.
When is Writing Difficult?
Writing is seen as being quite difficult because the writer is forced to give away a piece of themselves in every work they produce and often this needs to be done within strict timeframes.
Writers are also left alone somewhere to type away by themselves and this often requires a lot of self-discipline and a constant need to reaffirm one’s own abilities. Encouraging yourself and giving yourself congratulatory remarks is necessary.
Four Common Hurdles Faced When Becoming a Writer
Writers often face the same or similar issues and, if you stumble into a conversation with a fellow writer, you are likely to start grumbling about the same problems. The common conversation starters you will hear when you emerge from your writing enclave are as follows.
Writing is Lonely
Writing is quite a lonely discipline and often you will find yourself lifting your head from the computer screen and realizing you haven’t seen another person for a good few hours.
This is because writing requires a high level of focus devoid of distractions. Constant interruptions break the flow of writing and this is the enemy of productivity.
This is why you will find writers hiding away in the corner of coffee shops with their headphones on or why you won’t hear from your writer friends for long periods of time.
To avoid completely withdrawing from society, be sure to schedule social time when you pry yourself away from the screen and do something fun with other real life people.
Schedule a coffee date with a friend at least once a month and tell them to not allow you to reschedule. You can also commit to spending meal times with the people you live with. Most importantly, stick to these commitments!
The Conundrum of Writer’s Block
This is a highly contested topic and you will find writers debating whether this really exists or if it is just a myth. Yet, whether the notion of writer’s block is true or not, there is no debating there are times when you are stuck not knowing what to write next.
The validity of writer’s block was tested in a study where the findings were that a part of the brain known as Broca’s area could be inhibited at times, causing the writer to struggle with creating new concepts.
This tough place you find yourself in often happens when you are staring at a blank page. Yet, you have to start no matter what. The solution is as simple as that, whenever you feel stuck and unsure, just write.
It doesn’t need to be good or even make sense, just the act of starting will turn your brain on, telling it that it is time for the ideas to begin flowing. This sort of block could also be due to lacking inspiration.
Inspiration is Hard to Find
Writer’s block, whether you call it that or not, is usually due to a lack of inspiration and this intangible delight is often thought of as something unattainable on demand.
You may hear of the long voyage you must take across the seas to a tropical island to find some inspiration. Some believe you need to find a vast field or hike through a forest and you shall find that mystical inspiration.
This is not always the case, as in other instances, you can find inspiration at your desk. Some writers find it helpful to use writing prompts, which can be one online search away, while others find it on their page while writing.
Authors find inspiration in various ways. Some find it by keeping a strict daily routine teaching their brain it is time to work and feel inspired while others immerse themselves in other creative disciplines.
Criticism and How to Deal with It
Many creative disciplines are subject to heavy criticism due to the subjective nature of these fields. Professional writing, whether you are a non-fiction writer or a fiction writer, is not exempt from these critiques.
The bottom line is that your work will be criticized and there will be people who hate your work no matter how great it is. This is okay and often this is useful.
However, you need to decide which criticism to use and which to ignore completely. Some critics will provide constructive criticism, even if it wasn’t delivered constructively, and there will be others who are just being rude.
As a writer, you will need to deal with criticism, but remember that often criticism comes from a person’s opinions and not from fact. This usually means they don’t like it because of their own personal biases.
Learn to discard any criticism that is helpful and don’t let other people’s opinions seep into your work and your greatness. You are on the path to success no matter what the critics say.
Use a table similar to this to write down your main hurdles and the solutions. Keep it pinned above your computer to always remember how to overcome them.
| Hurdle | How to overcome it |
| Writing is lonely | Schedule time away from writing to enjoy being with loved ones. |
| Writer’s block | Write anything, no matter how bad it is. |
| Inspiration is hard to find | Look for writers’ prompts. |
| How to deal with criticism | Learn what criticism you should use and what you should ignore. |
The Road to Success
Writing is often something you cannot get away from. No matter how many disciplines you try out, most involve writing in one way or another. If this is the case, then listen to it. Writing is an attainable dream and one worth following.
You need discipline, a reasoning brain to overcome the harsh criticism you may face, and something to write on. The rest is up to you and the only way to discover how good of a writer you are is to start.
Firstly, write about the things you know and write even if no one is to see that writing. As long as you write every day, you will improve and start to find your inner writer.
Most importantly, share your writing. You don’t have to share everything, but writing so often can change lives and the only way to know if it will is to share it.
Why Being A Writer is Hard FAQ
Whether you are already a writer or you are considering taking your dream further you may have wondered about these questions.
Can you earn a living writing professionally? Yes, you definitely can earn a decent living. First, you need to decide what writing field is best for you whether that is book writing, ghostwriting, or copywriting amongst many others. With this, you can become a freelance writer.
Is writing a talent? People often believe writing to be a talent that you are born with while others are determined it is a skill. According to Medium, it is both. You can learn the skill of writing and your level of talent will decide how far you excel in the field.
Now, Go Write.
Now you know that writing is not too hard, but there are tough parts just as any other career. Despite all the problems and tough times, there is not much that can take away the feeling of pride and happiness from seeing your name on a published work.
Remember that hurdles can be jumped over, it just takes a little more effort and that is true in any type of writing. Remember that real life is still flowing around even while you are creating a new life on your page.
Take time in the real world and see how much it helps your writing to come to life too.