Every day, WordPress emails me one writing prompt. Today, they sent me five tweets. I chose:
On a particularly dreary day, as I was battling through research for a troublesome WhatCulture article, I hit writer’s block. I had that all-too-familiar, overwhelming sense that the last 1,000 words I had written were absolute drivel. How had I gotten to this point without realising the glaring fact I was an awful writer? I should immediately email my primary school English teacher to apologise for wasting their time and energy on me: a lost cause.
For the next three days, that article hung over my head like a hearse. I had to write that article, but the thought of conjuring another sentence sent pangs of mental anguish through my skull. So I did what anyone with a severe problem does: ask Google for advice. Fortunately, I found this gem from a Reddit thread:
“You’re not a writer unless you simultaneously think you’re the best and worst writer in the world.”
– Rainerkoreatrille
That quote is now on a sticky note above my desk. Writing has two sides. On one, your fingers flow across the keyboard with ease, or your hand’s ulnar border (yes, I looked that up) quickly skits down the paper, followed doggedly by a pen’s nib. On the other side, you sadly scroll Twitter, looking at all the dazzling prose of far more successful and handsome writers and wallow in self-pity.
The comforting thing the tweet above suggests is that every writer thinks, at some point, they are writing absolute garbage. I don’t believe any creative breezes through their work without ever breaking a sweat – without ever doubting themselves just once. Some talented people can pick up any instrument and play a tune, or crunch some mental numbers faster than I can scoff down a jam-filled doughnut (and let me tell you, I’m pretty fast). But the really good stuff, the stuff that people read and share and buy and talk about are born out of strife.
Why is writing hard? Because greatness comes from struggle. And with every difficult obstacle overcome, you get better at preparing for the next hurdle. When I get writer’s block, I know ten minutes away from the page or screen clears my head, or a quick read through praise I’ve received on a good piece of work bolsters my self-esteem.
And if you can’t find the motivation? Just do it. Get that dragging weight off your shoulders, because it will affect your work ethic. The satisfaction defeating a project that’s stubbornly refused to get out my brain and onto the page is invigorating.
Keep the core spinning. Get it done.
[15 minutes]
Shortish post today as I must write and schedule future posts; I’m off on a very important weekend adventure before new lockdown measures take place. Take care of yourselves, and see you tomorrow.
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