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Why You’ve Started To Hate Writing (And What You Can Do About It)

By on March 29, 2017

No matter how much you enjoy writing, and how much you feel as though it is an integral part of who you are, there are going to be moments of frustration. You know, those moments where you decide you actually hate writing, and wonder why you ever bothered in the first place!

Becoming disheartened with your writing and starting to resent it is very normal. With most things in life we are taught if you work hard enough, you will reap the benefits. While this is true in some aspects of writing, it is an area where there are no guarantees. Sometimes staring at that blank page and realising you've just got nothing can be enough to send you over the edge. It’s not lack of passion, it’s not because you are procrastinating, it's just that your brain appears to have decided to shut down for the day.

This is when you may very well start to wonder whether writing is indeed for you and begin to entertain thoughts of giving up altogether and pursuing the far more realistic ambition of being an astronaut or a cowgirl or something.

The truth is, however, that you probably don’t hate writing at all. You are just going through a creative drought, and there are lots of things you can do to get yourself out of it.

Let’s take a look at some of them:

You are not writing enough

If you don’t write regularly enough you are going to get rusty. The rustier you are the harder it will be to get going again. If you leave it too long you’ll find it almost impossible to get those creative cogs turning once more. The good news is that once you do get started, you just need to keep going back, every day, and doing a little more. Soon you’ll free yourself up again and find that writing comes far more naturally to you.

You are not doing your research

Most writing requires some research, regardless of the type of story it is. Make sure you do your research properly and really know what you are talking about before you sit down to write. It’s all too easy to get in a panic or a muddle if we don’t research properly, and then suddenly writing can feel overwhelming and just too hard. Don’t fall into this trap and always research properly before you begin, so when you do sit down to write, you can do so with confidence.

You haven’t written down your plot

Writing a thorough, detailed plot about your entire piece will help you have confidence that you can get to the end. Detailed chapter outlines will give you a guide so that you are never sitting down and thinking ‘I have no idea what happens next.’ Always do this before you start and then you’ll know that your story works, and be far more motivated to finish it.

You aren’t getting out there enough

Writers can quickly lose inspiration and their writing 'oomph' if they don’t get out there into the world and experience things. There is so much to see, and hear and be excited about. So don’t forget to live your life, open your eyes, prick up your ears and open yourself to all sorts of experiences. Being in love with life and tuned into all it has to offer will make better writers of us all.

So, next time you are faced with a blank page and can feel that bubble of frustration and self-loathing rise up in you, try not to panic. Think about what the real root cause could be, try the tips above and see if you can’t get going again a lot faster, and less painfully than you think!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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