The creative writing process can be tough. Most writers, at some point, feel like giving up. I know. I’ve been there and will more than likely find myself there again. Why do we sometimes feel like throwing in the towel? Here are some of my reasons.
· Time. I am always struggling to find time. My writing competes with my full-time job, my hour long commutes each way to and from work, housework, step kids’ commitments, making time to spend with my partner, helping my mum, and well, life in general
· I find it hard to write in the evenings. One, I don’t have time. I have about three and a half hours between getting home from work and going to bed. I usually spend this time preparing dinner, cooking dinner, cleaning up after dinner, preparing lunch for work, and winding down for an hour in front of the idiot box
· Every second week, I spend two to three of my evenings at sport training for my step kids
· Not to mention I am too tired to focus on anything creative after work. I have a busy demanding day job that is mentally draining
· When it comes to promoting my work, I sometimes feel like I am screaming into a huge void. My voice echoing back at me from somewhere deep in the valley
· I feel like a tiny fish in a vast ocean
· I sell a very small number of books, but every single sale means the world to me. When I post how excited I am about it on social media, I feel silly and wonder if authors who sell hundreds of copies a month are laughing at me (AKA 'Imposter Syndrome')
· I get little support or encouragement from the people closet to me in my personal life (except my mother)
· I get little alone time and need quiet to write. I escape to the library as much as I can but fitting that in can be a struggle when life is so busy.
I am sure many of you are nodding your heads right now, saying, ‘Yes, I can relate.’ This is how I combat wanting to give up and motivate myself to keep going.
· I reflect on why I want to tell my stories
· I remind myself that the world right now is quite depressing, and I can bring some humour into it through my writing
· I remind myself that writing is, and has always been, a part of who I am. It brings me so much joy no matter how little time I get to indulge in it
· I remember the words of my year twelve high school English teacher who wrote in my yearbook, ‘The world needs words. Yours are special. Keep on writing, kiddo.’
· I think about the writing community and all the wonderful supportive people I have met within it. If I gave up writing, I would lose those meaningful connections with other creative souls.
· I think about how proud my late father would be. He never got to see me become a published author.
So, if like me you sometimes feel like it’s all too hard, dig deep into your heart and find your own inspiration to keep writing. Trust me, your words matter.
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