Writer Frustration & How To Overcome It

Do you suffer from writer frustration? Here are some of the most common and what you can do about them.

When you start feeling frustrated with your writing, it can eliminate any pleasure you get from working on your book. Unfortunately, writers do often feel plagued with frustration when they write. Sure there are times where the words just seem to flow out of you. You are full of ideas, confident in your work, and completely absorbed in it. However, there are also plenty of times where the exact opposite is true.  So what are some of the most common frustrations writers feel?

Writer frustration explained

Expectations of yourself

Having certain expectations of yourself can be one of the cruelest writer frustrations. When we first set out we feel exhilarated and excited for what’s to come. If you hit a wall with your writing, however, those feelings can quickly dissipate. Instead, they may be replaced with ones of stress and anxiety about our writing and what we want to achieve. Shifting your focus away from the end goal can sometimes be helpful. Concentrate instead on the pure enjoyment of your craft, of creating something, and appreciate that as a standalone thing without worrying about what the future holds.

Expectations of your work

Expecting your work to always be enjoyable, and always come out the way you want it to is dangerous. You also may expect your work will be well received. If we set our expectations too high we are constantly chasing an impossible standard and will quickly become frustrated. Perhaps you find yourself getting too bogged down in a particular project and it feels a bit like wading through mud, instead try switching gears and wok on something different. If you do you gain valuable space and your positive emotions will start to return again.

Comparing yourself to others

Comparing yourself to other, more successful writers can often trigger writer frustration. It is important to try to accept that you are on your own unique writer journey and that that is the only thing that really matters.

Lack of time

One of the biggest complaints amongst writers is that they simply don’t have enough time to write. The majority of writers don’t make enough from their writing to do this as their only job. So they have other responsibilities and commitments which take up time, leaving little writing time left. Finding pockets of time to reserve for writing, no matter how hectic your day, can be extremely helpful. Creating a writing schedule and sticking to it religiously is another solution.

Not being taken seriously

Writers often find that unless they are multi-million pound earning, bestselling authors, they aren’t taken seriously by others. This can be wounding and upsetting as well as cause writer frustration. If you write, you are a writer. Join like-minded communities of people can help you to feel more connected and validated and can be a good place to have a vent too!

Wondering if it will ever be worth it

Writers invest so much time and energy into their work, but often there is little payoff. Wondering whether it is worth it and this can be mentally draining and very frustrating. Again, it’s about switching your perspective here and focusing on the enjoyment of writing for the sake of it. Don't worry about potential gains and allow you to focus on the true pleasure of writing once more!

Writer frustrations can be extremely challenging - but now you've learned how to deal with them, why not read about how to challenge yourself as a writer, in a good way?!

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