As you can tell from the title, last week was R-O-U-G-H. It was a week filled with…well, nothing. Writing for my book was non-existent. A blinking cursor stared at me, and I found myself wondering if I should just put the whole thing on hold.
Yup, I considered scrapping this whole book thing. After all, do I really want to work on something that makes me want to tear out my hair, scream into the void, and question my life choices?
After a good, ol’ pep talk, I decided that I did want to continue writing my book and that I wasn’t going to let moments (or a full week) of frustration make me a quitter.
Of course, it also led me to write this blog. So grab your favorite caffeinated beverage, put on your comfiest writing socks, and let’s commiserate over the 10 things I hate about writing.
- Blank Page Syndrome: Picture this – you’re sitting down at your desk, fingers poised over the keyboard, ready to unleash your creative genius onto the page. And then… nothing. Your mind is as empty as the page in front of you. It’s like all your brilliant ideas decided to take a vacation without you. Thanks, brain.
- Procrastination Nation: Ah, the sweet siren song of procrastination. Why write now when you could spend the next three hours rearranging your bookshelf by color or watching videos of cats playing piano on YouTube? It’s all in the name of “inspiration,” right?
- Plot Holes the Size of Plot Mountains: You’ve crafted the perfect story arc, meticulously planned out every twist and turn, and then – bam! – you realize there’s a giant plot hole staring back at you like a judgmental abyss. Cue the frantic writing and rewriting.
- Character Rebellion: You spend hours meticulously crafting your characters, only for them to turn around and act like unruly toddlers throwing a tantrum in the middle of the grocery store. No, Karen, you can’t just decide you’re allergic to gluten halfway through the story. We discussed this.
- The Comparison Game: Thanks to social media, it’s easier than ever to compare yourself to other writers and feel like a talentless hack in comparison. Oh, look, that 12-year-old just published their third bestselling novel. Excuse me while I weep into my unfinished manuscript.
- The Torture of Typing: Sure, writing may sound glamorous, but anyone who’s spent hours hunched over a keyboard knows the true agony of carpal tunnel syndrome, finger cramps, and the never-ending battle against autocorrect. Can someone please tell my laptop that “duck” is not an acceptable substitution for a certain four-letter word?
- Unsolicited Feedback: Nothing quite like pouring your heart and soul into a piece of writing, only to have it torn apart by well-meaning friends, family members, and that random guy on the internet who thinks they’re a literary genius. Thanks for the feedback, but I didn’t ask for a dissertation on why my protagonist is “unrelatable.”
- Imposter Syndrome: You know that feeling when you’re convinced that you’re just one typo away from being exposed as a fraud? Yeah, welcome to the club. Turns out, even successful writers aren’t immune to the soul-crushing fear that they’re secretly terrible at what they do.
- The Fear of Failure: Ah, yes, the ever-present specter of failure looming over every writer’s shoulder like a judgmental ghost. Will anyone read my work? Will they like it? Will I ever be able to make a living as a writer, or will I end up living in a cardboard box under a bridge somewhere? The possibilities are endless, and none of them are particularly comforting.
- The Inevitable Existential Crisis: Congratulations, you’ve survived the writing process and birthed your literary baby into the world. Now what? Cue the existential crisis as you grapple with the age-old question: What is the meaning of life, and why did I ever think I could be a writer?
So, yeah…these are ten things I hate about writing and most definitely could live without. Despite the frustrations, self-doubt, and occasional existential crisis, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of creating something out of nothing and hoping that one day you’ll be able to share it with the world. So here’s to all the writers out there—may your coffee be strong, your pep talks be sanity-saving, and your muse be ever-present.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a blank page calling my name.