Writing is not for the lily livered; it can be a very daunting task, at which those who do not have the adequate preparations can very easily falter if not fail entirely.

Now, why do writing fail? I imagine you’ll attribute it to lack of ideas, but it is mostly not just because people don’t have ideas, it is because writing comes with some emotional weight and when you aren’t prepared for this, you tend to fall by the wayside, you just give up!

So, next time you find yourself staring at your screen blocked, restless, discouraged or getting frustrated, understand that everyone is susceptible to these emotions. It is also not because you can’t make good out of this venture, you are only grappling with how to express your thoughts, emotions, and ideas well. What matters most at this juncture is the way you react to these emotions.

Let’s look at strategies that can help in situations when you face three of the challenges you are most likely to encounter while writing seriously.

Dealing with Writer’s Block

I believe we have discussed this most dreaded and talked about concept once or twice in my previous newsletters, but it’s never too much, is it? One of the things I have realised is that writer’s block is, in many cases, not  a function of shortage of ideas, it is that emotional feeling of insufficiency, mental confusion, or the crave for perfection.

Maybe you are struggling to write the perfect sentence, instead of the next sentence that moves you forward, or you are trying to deal with many ideas at once. Any of these would lead to some internal traffic jam, elicit fear and stop you from doing anything productive. You are hit by a mental overload or emptiness that paralyses you!

In the circumstance, you do not need to force brilliance that momentarily eludes you, what you must do is reduce pressure in that instant. See it as a signal that you should reconsider your pace, reduce your expectation or scope but not stop altogether. So, what do I advise? Three things: One, try to write without editing for about ten minutes. Two, narrow your tasks to one single thought or question per time. And three, switch your format; write an outline for your work instead of writing in prose, or just make notes in bullet points instead of writing in paragraphs. In short, find a way to make things easier for yourself at that point and reduce pressure.

Between Motivation and Discipline

Writers fantasise a lot, sometimes almost to the point of worshipping motivation. So, they do nothing until they feel motivated. I am not necessarily saying anything is wrong with seeking motivation, but we must understand that motivation is an emotional phenomenon, and emotions can be very unpredictable, fickle and unreliable. We can’t take anything away from the fact that motivation is what gets you started, but what do you do when your enthusiasm fades? You don’t abandon the work; you only discipline yourself to get it done. Discipline is what keeps you moving when passion and excitements choose to evade you.

Now, I’m not speaking of discipline as punishment or rigidity. I’m speaking in the sense of you deciding in advance that in case of any emotional breach, that your immediate decision deserves a regular place in your life. So, on days that motivation is at the peak, you savour it to the fullest, but when it decides to take leave of you as would happen every now and then, pull out your discipline out of your reservoir, let it take over and lead you to do what you can do for that day and leave it at that. You’ll discover that 20 – 30 minutes such episodes on the down days would turn out positively powerful if you are consistent.

You see, writing progress breathes on this spectrum. You must therefore learn when to lean on motivation and when to depend on the steel of discipline in this business. It is a skill that we must all strive to develop.

Accountability Accelerates Progress

Again, this is a point I know I have had to make at some points in the past. Writing is a solitary act, but progress doesn’t thrive in isolation. Writing sometimes feel so heavy and tedious when you have no one watching you or waiting for you to report success or asking how far you have gone. You just feel so alone at it, and that really need not be.

If you take just one moment to ponder it, you’ll see that accountability: the fact that someone knows you are working on something and excepts to hear from you about it changes the psychology of writing. Just think about it. When you have people ask questions and cheer you on, you show up different, you procrastinate less and handle your work with more seriousness. So, find a trusted writing partner, a small writer’s group or seek regular check-in from someone who understands the writing process, and you’ll find that you are moving more steadily. Having a stable, supportive structure around you and your work may be the only difference between wanting to write and actually finishing that book, so go for it!

Final Take

So, when your writing becomes challenging, it is usually more of an emotional challenge than a technical one. The problem is that for some reasons, fear or doubt has crept in, making your confidence to waver and bring fatigue on you. When you get to this juncture, you must adopt a combination of two strategies. One is Emotional permission, where you embrace your struggle joyfully, without self-condemnation and two, a practical structure that helps you make progress even in the hardest days.

If you want to progress in your writing, you cannot always depend on inspiration, because sometimes, it will not be there. You must match intention with guidance, rhythm, and accountability. And accountability, does not have to be judgemental, oppressive or even formal, it should rather be compassionate and understanding.  

Henceforth, do not take those difficult moments in your writing as an evidence of inadequacy, it may just be a sign that you need to do things differently. All you need is courage to always return to the page even when you are not certain. This courage when it is supported and sustained is what gets writers to complete books.

You can buy my book, Every Journalist Should Write a Book, here

Niran Adedokun,

Writer | Communications Strategist | Book Strategist | Author of “Every Journalist Should Write a Book