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Why Writing Hurts

By on February 22, 2019
Why Writing Hurts - Writer's Life.org

Writing can be a painful experience for many reasons, here are some of them, and how you might be able to lessen the pain too!

You are bearing your soul

Writing can make us feel extremely vulnerable, and that can be scary and quite emotionally difficult too. If you are using your book to explore lots of different emotions and revisiting challenging experiences, this takes courage but can result in better writing at the end of it.

Solution: Enjoy the catharsis

Writing is creative, and imaginative, but also can be incredibly cathartic. If you are working through something by writing, or just using it to release built up emotions or finally have your say, it can be a massive release, and you’ll come out of the other side of it feeling so much better.

You are your own worst critic

Writers can be extremely cruel to themselves. We criticize and agonize over everything we do. While it’s great to be detail orientated, if you are too self-critical this can lead to self-sabotage and your writing suffers as a result.

Solution: Give yourself a break

Remember that the fact you are writing at all is a massive achievement. Try to get the words out first, free of judgment and remind yourself there is time to edit and perfect later.

It’s hard to get support

Writers can find that their family and friends aren’t quite as supportive as they had hoped they would be, and when you are tearing your hair out just trying to get them to read your book, it can feel pretty painful.

Solution: Find fellow writers

Other writers will know exactly how you feel, and you can be on another's support system instead!

You will probably get rejected

Rejection is part and parcel of any writers life, but putting so much time and effort into a piece of work only to have it rejected is tough.

Solution: Reward yourself

The fact that you have got the point where you can send your work off to be considered for publication is massive. Rejoice in this and remember to take a step back and reward yourself - regardless of the outcome, you’ve still done something you should be seriously proud of.

You need stamina

All writers need stamina and determination. Above all else, writing is a long game, and if you throw in your hand too early, you might never know where your writing journey could have taken you.

Solution: practice
The only way writers get better is by practicing, so keep dedicating yourself to learning as much as possible, and you’ll notice that you get better and better - which is excellent motivation to keep going!

We all know that writing takes a lot of dedication, and it can hurt at times. But so do many things that we care deeply about. So remember that sometimes more pain is more gain, keep your chin up, find some people to share your woes, and stay strong!

bethany cadman

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

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