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7 Things to Try When Writing Is Hard

Often, the difficulty lies simply in the unwieldy story—and the need for an ever-evolving understanding and ability in order to manage it. According to my estimate, as much as 75% of what is referenced as “writer’s block” is really just “plot block.” Something in the storyform is out of balance and/or the story’s problem is temporarily outpacing the author’s skill level. With enough persistence, these plot blocks give way sooner than later—and usually with the reward of either a better story or, at least, a greater awareness in the writer.

But then there are the difficulties that fall under the heading of that other 25%. This is when the writing is hard in ways that aren’t so easy to bull our way through.

These are often deeper issues, arising from our life beyond the page. They might include illness (our own or someone else’s), exhaustion, stress, fear or other unresolved emotions, burnout, or any other number of things. Sometimes the cause seems to be something as simple (and vague) as a mood.

And it’s infuriating. Unlike with plot blocks, solving the problem isn’t always as simple as finding the right mental thread to pull. Sometimes, it’s a matter of putting things other than writing first for a while (and coming to peace with that). Other times, it’s a matter of using the writing difficulties to help us work through what’s really causing the block.

Writing Is Hard Right Now: My Story

Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration (Amazon affiliate link)

Until recently, I’d never experienced that second type of writer’s block. Plot block, sure. But I’ve spent my creative life building a skill set that helps me efficiently and effectively deal with that . (Indeed, it’s not really an exaggeration to say “avoiding plot block” is the entire reason I write this blog!)

But real live life-induced writer’s block? Not so much.

However, as I mentioned in the podcast intro a couple weeks ago, I now find myself somewhat bemused to be experiencing a definite (if not quite definitive) case of writer’s block. I am objectively aware it’s not the end of the world. There’s a part of me that is genuinely rolling my eyes at and passing the coffee to the other part of me that is getting really grumpy. And as I say, it’s not definitive ; I’m still writing; there are still words.

It’s just that the writing is hard right now. Harder than I ever remember it being. It’s hard in a different way.

Dreamlander (Amazon affiliate link)

Part of this surprises me, since I’ve been incredibly eager to start the outline for the third book in my Dreamlander trilogy. But on the other hand, it makes sense. I moved last year, so I’m in a new place, figuring out a new routine. There’s also some heavy family stuff that knocked me for a loop when it first arose a few weeks ago. Also thrown in there were several layers of personal growth that decided to peak all at the same time.

And… then there’s the story itself. This is my first attempt at a series, so even though this book will be my eleventh rodeo, it’s still brand new ground. This is the first time I’ve ever had to tie off a multi-book story arc in a single volume. I started Book 3’s outline with the realization that I’d generously bequeathed myself dozens of little plot blocks—ideas I’d set up in Book 2 with vague ideas of their payoff in Book 3, but not enough info (yet) about how to get there.

Anyway, altogether it’s made for a potent mix that is allowing me the opportunity to learn new things about myself as a writer and a person. Some of those lessons are the tactics that have inspired this post—tactics that have already helped me move forward positively both in working on my story and working past the difficulties.

7 Things You Can Try When Writing Is Hard

For me, realizing I am most definitely not the first author to experience the whole “writing is hard” thing has helped me draw on the compassionate (and incredibly tough ) wisdom of the many authors whose legacies permeate my life.

Today, I want to, in turn, reach out to those of you who may currently be finding that your writing is hard (whether normal hard or hard hard). Here are a few practicable steps I hope will give you comfort and/or help you start moving toward a solution for your own unique writing challenges.

1. Just Admit the Writing Is Hard

In my experience as a writing mentor, I find writers tend to have two different kinds of relationships with writer’s block. The first kind uses writing difficulties as a comfy excuse to embrace the drama:

“Woe is me! I simply can’t write! I have WRITER’S BLOCK!!!”

The second approach, however, denies there’s any problem at all:

“I can’t have writer’s block! I never get writer’s block!! I don’t believe in writer’s block!!!”

That was me for a while there. And then it was like:

“Wow, I have writer’s block…”

My first step was accepting that the difficulties I was facing on the page weren’t just plot blocks, but something bigger. That knowledge then provided me what is always the foundational key to problem-solving: correctly identifying the problem.

How did I know I was facing down something bigger than just your normal, ordinary, everyday, garden-variety plot block? Because the normal solutions to plot block (asking plot questions and looking for the right “thread” to pull) weren’t getting me anywhere. I was scribbling furiously; I just wasn’t advancing.

2. Identify the Cause

I suppose it’s possible serious writer’s block could be caused by a single issue (e.g., the death of a loved one). But for most of us, it’s a condition arising out of a unique cocktail of convergences. For me, the catalyst was a shaken-not-stirred mix of diverse ingredients that included everything from January ennui to unprecedented storytelling challenges to exhaustion/recovery from a big move last year to stressful current events—and more.

Most of these things, I had no control over and little to no recourse for “fixing.” Winter’s gonna end when winter’s gonna end. My emotional processing of life events is gonna take as long as it’s gonna take. Other people are gonna do what other people are gonna do.

After accepting that, I dialed in on the causes I could do something about. First, I figured out what I believed were my main problems:

a) Having a hard time sticking with a daily writing routine.

b) Struggling with ideas that just weren’t flowing.

From there, I started implementing strategies to see if I could unblock the dam.

3. Take Care of Yourself Before You Take Care of Your Writing

A truth that has become increasingly clear to me is that art and life are synergistic. If I’m not taking care of myself on basic personal levels—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually— then my creative pursuits will necessarily suffer . In the artistic life, discipline extends far beyond the desk.

Since I knew many of the reasons for my writer’s block had nothing to do with the actual writing, my initial strategies also had little to do with writing. For starters, I completely restructured my daily schedule in recognition of the fact that I’m slowest in the mornings, with my motivation consistently climbing throughout the day.

Another thing I did was set my phone to “Do Not Disturb.” This allowed me to check it in between projects, rather than taking the risk that my focus and energy would be disrupted in the middle of flow.

4. Trust the Process

So there I was, sitting with pen in hand, scribbling along, face scrunched in determination—and it’s just not working . No matter what question I asked myself, I couldn’t find the right answer. No matter what idea I tried to chase, it never seemed to be the one that set my imagination on fire.

While this was happening, the one thought that kept me grounded was: Trust the process .

I would take a deep breath and return to the basics that, by now, are second nature . On my iPad, I would open up Helping Writers Become Authors and review my own posts—every one of them inspired by some challenge I had faced on a previous story. I would remember the specific steps I needed to take:

Ask “ what if ” questions.
Identify your characters’ thematic Truths .
Find the antagonist’s motive and goal .
Look for the structural plot points .

None of these things “cured” my writer’s block. But like familiar road signs popping into view on a snowy night, they kept me grounded, reminding me I knew where I was going because I’d been here before.

The process never fails me. If I stick with it, it will see me through.

5. Go Back to Basics: Daydreaming and Dreamzoning

Outlining Your Novel (Amazon affiliate link)

Even though my writing process is built around intensive causal outlining , I don’t “make up stories.” I will sit down and brainstorm things that need to happen to move a story from Point A to Point B, but I never “create” the A and the B. They come me— spontaneous gifts from my subconscious imagination .

And that, I realized, was one of the reasons I just couldn’t move forward with this outline. I didn’t have enough “As” and “Bs” yet. I knew the bare bones of what needed to happen. But I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t feel it.

From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler (affiliate link)

So I went back to basics. For me, the hotline to my imagination is what I call “ dreamzoning ” (a term I got from Robert Olen Butler’s excellent From Where You Dream ). Basically, this is just intensified daydreaming. I’ll put on an appropriate playlist in the background, use something mindless but moving as a visual focal point (firelight is perfect, though a lava lamp isn’t bad either), and then just sit back and watch the show. I realized the other night that, really, it’s an almost meditative exercise. I’m trying to zone out of my surroundings and go deep into my head, dreaming vivid visual dreams fraught with emotional consequence.

All I get are snippets, flashes, photographs, and sometimes slow-mo movies. But these are the seedlings of my stories. If I gather enough, the story will write itself. Buh-bye, writer’s block. And in the meantime, spending my writing sessions chilling with a candle and some tunes is both productive and seriously low-stress.

6. Find the Right (Guilt-Free) Routine

Ironically, writer’s block often seems to come with a fair-sized dose of guilt. We can’t write, and yet we self-flagellate because we should be writing.

Depending on the root cause making our writing so hard for the moment, the best choice might be giving ourselves permission to not write for a while (as I am—more or less—by allowing myself to focus solely on “dreamzoning” for a while). Other times, just tweaking a writing routine or schedule can do wonders.

Once I realized that outside drama and other factors were wreaking havoc with my ability to stay focused during a morning or afternoon writing session, I switched things around. I moved my writing session to the evening, when my energy is always most reliable. This gave me the ability to once again consistently show up for writing time—which removed the useless poison of guilt from my already complicated cocktail of problematic catalysts.

7. Inhale Information and Inspiration

Often, writer’s block is simply the result of an empty well. As I discovered in #5, above, if I have no inspiration, how can I honestly expect myself to have anything to write about?

This goes for more than just imaginative bursts. It also goes for information—of all sorts. Any story is ultimately a reconstruction of things the writer has either experienced or learned. If you find yourself with nothing to write about, it could be as simple as that: you have nothing to write about.

Start filling your well. If you haven’t been reading faithfully, start a daily routine. If you’ve been reading the same type of thing for years, try something new. Get out. Do new things. Watch new movies. Listen to new songs. Go to a museum. Fill your inner eye with wonders.

And read about writing. My success last year with a host of amazing writing-related books has prompted me to make sure I read something powerful and inspiring about writing, or art in general, every single day.

Writing is hard for everyone. Some days are harder for some of us than for others. But the wheel keeps on rolling, and we all get our turn sooner than later. I feel certain that when it is time for me to return to the page, after a couple weeks of dreamzoning, I will find most of my challenges fulfilled. If not, I know further solutions will await me as long as I seek them with patience and discipline. In the meantime, I offer my encouragement to those of you who might be experiencing a similar trial, and I am thankful we get to walk together on this road—in all its many terrains and weathers!

Wordplayers, tell me your opinions! What’s the first thing you do when your writing is hard? Tell me in the comments!

Click the “Play” button to Listen to Audio Version (or subscribe to the Helping Writers Become Authors podcast in iTunes ).

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K.M. Weiland is the award-winning and internationally-published author of the acclaimed writing guides Outlining Your Novel , Structuring Your Novel , and Creating Character Arcs . A native of western Nebraska, she writes historical and fantasy novels and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

Thank you for this. Lately, events outside my control have made it really hard to have any kind of consistent writing time or energy. (My mom’s been sick. It’s not fatal since we caught it in time, but hanging out in doctor’s waiting rooms is mentally and emotionally exhausting.) Sometimes just giving yourself permission to be struggling is a big thing. And reminding yourself that the outside events really are not going to last forever.

Very sorry to hear about your mom. That kind of thing comes first. Although writing can often be cathartic in painful situations, it can also be an energy drain when other things should be priority.

I really should keep reading. It might help me with my story.

Totally. Information is a writer’s greatest currency.

When the heck will you open a Patreon account?

It’s down there on my to-do list. 😉

Again, so timely! I’ve been thinking how awesome it is when a big life change happens…but you have advance warning. I have one rolling down the pike right now. I’m retiring from full-time go-to-work work on 3/29/19. Just around the corner it is. And I’m thinking, now I’ll have exactly 24 hours to play with for my optimal writing routine, instead of having to parcel some of those hours to a time clock. And I’ve been thinking, ahead, of the pitfalls of retirement that I’ve heard about from those who’ve gone before. One of the monsters is: shedding a routine because I can. I’ve been counseled to structure my day instead of just letting it “happen”, otherwise nothing important or vital will happen.

But, Kate, can I just live that way for a week-please, please, please? I’ve been punching a clock for 51 years now, and now I’d like to punch it just once, literally.! Bwahaha!

I think you deserve at least *two* weeks off. 😉

Terrific information, Katie! I am in the same space too. I think it’s partly due to the angst in the world that I am sensitive to. I recently wrote a post on “A Time to Write and a Time to Not Write” that says much of the same. We need to honor those seasons when the writing isn’t there. Thank you!

Another tactic I’ve been practicing long-term, for several years now, is tuning out the media. If something doesn’t add value to my life (or allow me to add quantitative value in return) and is, instead, feeding off my energy, I don’t want it in my day. I haven’t regretted it once. The news that filters around the edges is often more pertinent, clearer, and more thought-provoking.

>due to the angst in the world that I am sensitive to.

Same here. I can’t resist reading the news, even though I try. Apparently, I can’t go more than a day without clicking on a newsreader app. I tried to deal with this through my writing (Democracy’s Thief), but it didn’t work.

Find a replacement for the addiction. IMDb is my nicotine replacement. 😉 I still get to browse a news feed a couple times (and one that actually does still feed me most of the big stories) but without as much of a negative barrage.

This article was very timely for me. Over the last year, a cascade of hard changes, both good and horribly bad, have left me staring at my laptop unable to feel my story. Words come by force, and some of them are very good, but I feel detached from the process.

Like you, this is not my first round (I’m drafting my 11th book as well), but never in my more than 2 decades of writing has it ever been THIS hard.

As you said, many of the problems influencing my writer’s block are out of my control, but you’ve encouraged me to identify the ones I can control and make those changes.

Yeah, that sounds familiar. But every day I ask myself, “A few years down the road, will I feel better having written this story–or having not written it?” That answer, at least, remains clear.

All of these points are spot on! Whether or not we readers were/are already aware of them, these make a good reminder for us to stop and take a deep breath, to gather ourselves for the coming fray.

When I’m stuck, I either begin random stream-of-conscious noodling – usually pencil to reams of scrap paper – asking every question about the issue that comes to mind, allowing absurdity without self-censorship. Sometimes the gem we seek is in the response to that crazy what-if.

Or I go work on something else entirely, maybe or maybe not related to writing.

Two years ago I was caught in that “beyond the author’s skill” morass, and after isolating what I needed to do (in which I recognized my inadequacies and the need to consult with others), I began reaching out to those with experience in my trouble areas. It took about a year to gather the information, let it sink into my heart and soul, and then use that infusion to inform the chapters I needed to write. Even with the advance work of interviews, analysis, and self-examination, that was the hardest writing I’ve ever done. But I had to do it. The integrity of the story would have been compromised without it. My characters’ respect for me would have been damaged without it. And the work, as hard as it was, strengthened my skills massively. I truly enjoyed the challenge.

The real bonus was after it was done, with publication a couple months away, when the story sent me a definitive message about my next writing project. A work of non-fiction, that will be the hardest writing I’ve ever done. Now I realize that my previous challenge was an apprenticeship, or boot camp, for the next book.

I love connections like that!

This whole comment is great, but especially this:

“When I’m stuck, I either begin random stream-of-conscious noodling – usually pencil to reams of scrap paper – asking every question about the issue that comes to mind, allowing absurdity without self-censorship. Sometimes the gem we seek is in the response to that crazy what-if.”

This came in the nick of time XD Thanks!!

Yay for good timing! 🙂

As someone with ADHD, writers block is a tremendous pain. BUT… I draw, keep notes going on ideas, and just read for inspiration when it clobbers me

I’m always happy when life gives me any excuse to read and call it work. :p

KM, I believe your article speaks to every writer. When writing is especially hard for me, I literally write down everything that’s bugging me and sort out what I can impact and what I can’t. Then I try to take by the horns the things I can control. It helps to see that many of my annoyances are actually under my power to impact. Thanks!

Yes, love this! Brain dumping on the page is great way to get a more objective perspective within the messiness of whatever is going on.

All of the above comments ring true.

Sometimes I try a different approach. Good writing comes from the right side of the brain where my inner child lives. My blocks occur when the left brain is just overwhelmed with life’s demands. My child is ignored and can’t get any attention. When I switched careers and became a patent attorney I had no right brain time left at the end of the day. That lasted 12 years!

These days I let the negative take over. I tell myself, fine, you’re done, burned out and it’s time to quit. Get a job at Home Depot and sweep floors. (I treat some of my characters this way). Of course, my inner child who loves to tell stories doesn’t like the adult actually agreeing that he has nothing to say and should quit. So the rebellion in my head starts with an agreement that I won’t write very often and, of course, that the book I’m working on will never be finished. Sooner or later, the inner child misses writing so much that the time increases, the energy returns and the right brain takes over once again. Doesn’t always work but sometimes it’s just about letting your various personas clear the air.

Hah. Love this. Reverse psychology on yourself. 🙂

I go back and tweak earlier chapters of my draft in easy ways, like searching for vague verbs like “went” and replacing them with more vivid ones, or adding sensory details. That’s a gentle way of reawakening my interest in the story and characters or “getting my head back into it.”

Glad you brought this up. I’ve been doing this as well, with the book I just finished. It’s cathartic and helps with impostor syndrome (usually 😉 ).

Thank you very much for this – a great help on many different levels.

What I do is write free flow for twenty minutes or so. I scribble about anything and everything – whatever is in my overloaded yet tired brain. No editing – just rambling forth. No one will ever see it so there is no pressure – just a warm up for the muscles and the mind. Then comes the important part of the exercise – into the kitchen for a rewarding cup of tea. Cheers.

Yes, I’m remiss not to mention my muse: Coffee. :p

Yeah. I used to get terrible problems with January. I’ve helped it a lot by taking a holiday at that time of year in the sun. Sometimes I’ve even gone away for the whole winter, which can be amazingly cheap if you go to out of season resorts. For example I went to Malta for 3 months and paid as little as £4 a night. Mediterranean or desert places are a good choice, the weather is cool but there is still sunshine. It helps with mood and energy. The other thing is to take vitamin D in the winter. I don’t use a SAD lamp, but I’ve heard they can help. Before, I used to get murderous rages in the winter and I never felt properly awake. Exercise, particularly dancing, is good to boost the serotonin levels. Plot blocks can eat away at your motivation to write, but the worst things are what I call existential blocks where nothing in life seems to have any meaning, and writing seems futile. Remind yourself what makes writing sexy to you- the slant, strange, absurd or beautiful things that compelled you to write in the first place. Then aim to mine that spooky hair-raising feeling. I think that Julia Cameron has the right idea when she tells you to go on an Artist’s Date every week (for me that is once a fortnight) to fill the well. The other thing I do is to write something more indulgent like some poetry and leave the heavy novel project alone for an afternoon. Going to a Writers’ Group and showing off a bit can help to light a fire under you again. Perform something great you wrote in the past and let people fawn over you : )

Now that it’s finally gotten a little warmer, I’ve been walking every afternoon. That helps a lot.

I got a better understanding of my humanity through reading Eric Barker’s posts. He suggests if you’re blocked give yourself one tiny task. Go to your writing area and put one thing that’s out of place away. Or create the word processor document and enter the title. One thing leads to another. Thirty minutes later you’re still fixing “just one more thing…”

I like that!

Thank you KM, this was very helpful. I struggle with depression, so most of the time it’s really hard for me to write (or doing anything, for that matter), but the feeling of accomplishment I get when I CAN do it, even if just a little, is worth fighting for.

Totally agree with this. Focusing on the feeling we get after we do something, rather than when we’re doing it can be tremendously helpful.

Another eye-opening post. I realized that it’s not enough for me to admit that it’s not working or I’m just not up to it today (at which point I go out for a walk or something, which has its own rewards). But identifying the reason, even if it’s nothing to do with the work, is key to moving forward. When I’m stuck on the writing, I usually write out the supposed problem in my notebook, I just let the ink fly, no worries about spelling or grammar. At the very least, it gets the problem out of my head. I also love point 7. It reminds me of a Hemingway quote; “You have to stand up and live before you can sit down and write.” Thanks for sharing this!

Love that Hemingway quote!

1: To get started, write one true sentence.

Hemingway had a simple trick for overcoming writer’s block. In a memorable passage in A Moveable Feast, he writes:

“Sometimes when I was starting a new story and I could not get it going, I would sit in front of the fire and squeeze the peel of the little oranges into the edge of the flame and watch the sputter of blue that they made. I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, “Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” So finally I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there. It was easy then because there was always one true sentence that I knew or had seen or had heard someone say. If I started to write elaborately, or like someone introducing or presenting something, I found that I could cut that scrollwork or ornament out and throw it away and start with the first true simple declarative sentence I had written.”

http://www.openculture.com/2013/02/seven_tips_from_ernest_hemingway_on_how_to_write_fiction.html

I’ve always liked that anecdote.

Hemingway’s stuff is enigmatic. It’s like he has to play a game with you before he lets you in on his secrets. And then sometimes, he just plays games (Hills Like White Elephants). When he talks about squeezing the orange peel and squirting the little droplets of oil into the fire or just looking out over the rooftops, I believe he was encouraging himself to have faith *in himself*. “Take your mind off things. The words will come. They always have. They always will. You can’t rush them.” All we can do is fix our thoughts on the one fact we know is true and not speculate on things we know nothing about.

In the “Old Man and the Sea,” he starts out with the old man going 84 days without catching a fish. Yet, Santiago doesn’t whine or worry. He doesn’t control when the fish will bite. I think that was another one of Hemingway’s ways of saying, “Don’t worry. Be Happy.” The one true fact in that scene is that you can’t control when the fish will bite. But you sure won’t catch anything by worrying.

Just my $0.02.

You know, Old Man and the Sea is actually a perfect analogy for writer’s block.

For me, “writer’s block” vanished two years ago. I’d read James Scott Bell’s “Voice” and found a huge gold nugget: the 300-word sentence. Here it is. 1) Get a yellow legal pad and a good black-ink pen. 2) Isolate yourself. Be in quiet, staring, still mode for 10 minutes. 3) Speculate on two or three scenes that might work. Pick one. 4) Write a 300-word sentence, using only commas, ABOUT that scene.

(For example, “this scene is about Julia, and she just saw her ex in the grocery store, behind the cabbages, and she hunkers down but, damn it, Jake saw her and he is smiling so she just leaves the basket on the floor and makes it to the exit, but instead of going to her car she tucks into the drug store and heads down the shampoo aisle, accidentally bumping into two elderly women, and takes refuge next to the reading glasses display, wondering why the hell she is avoiding him in the first place, why couldn’t she face him because it had been over a year now, and just when she felt calm and collected there he was, looking for her, and when she turned to leave she knocked the entire display case over, spilling glasses everywhere and in her panic to pick them up Jake shows up, just stands there with that smart*ss grin and she could have smacked him hard for it but, no, that would reek of unfinished business, and all she could do was accept his help and apologize to the employee who had already up righted the display case, and she knew that after they picked up all the readers she’d gather her wits and tongue and do the infuriating mature thing and act surprised to see him, this non-committal, video-gaming hot mess that moved to Chicago, leaving her behind.”)

Works every single time.

This is a great exercise for blocks in the drafting stage. My outlining process isn’t so much about getting words on paper as it is working through causal relations for scenes. Essentially, however, what I’m doing in the “dreamzoning” phase is a stream-of-conscious equivalent for a different part of the process.

Yes, the different kinds of writing . . . for me it’s the Post-it outlining stage, the 300-word sentence stage, the getting it on the laptop stage, then tweaking the chronology and lastly, the revision stage. Don’t know why we call it writing. It should just be called ‘re-writing.’

Yes, even for someone like me who prefers to do most of the heavy lifting upfront in an outline, rather than in revisions (when all goes well), the process is still a long procession of tweaking and refining.

“In the artistic life, discipline extends far beyond the desk.” I shall write this above my desk as it is exactly what I needed to hear right now. Working it out may take some time but that doesn’t negate the truth behind it. Thanks for that, Katie.

I’ve been mulling on this concept quite a lot lately. I will be doing posts on in it in the future. Basically, I find myself more and more interested in something I’m currently calling “whole-life art.”

I sometimes deal with this, especially in the summer. I need to be outside in the sun, in the wind, listen to the ocean breaking a block away from me. Being stuck inside is the worst! So I bought a table for the deck, and some chairs. I sit in the sun and write whatever I feel at the moment. It’s nothing that will be published, that’s not the point, it’s just for me. It doesn’t feel like spinning my wheels, and sometimes, something good comes out and moves one of my plots forward. I always have more than one book on the go, because I run myself into plot problems and need to let them stew until they figure themselves out. Mostly, I take time for me, with a long walk through the waves, or sitting and reading a book or a series I love. I get a good tan (and the much-needed Vitamin D I’m chronically short on), and I get some space for whatever I’m needing. We have 9 months of rain here on the Oregon Coast, so those three or four months of sun are precious and much needed. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this, but you’re doing it right. Hang in there.

Generally, winter is the more difficult writing season for me. But summer certainly presents its own challenges. Somehow I’m always surprised by how much busier I tend to be in the warmer months.

Personally, I write best when it’s cold and dreary, when I’m stuck inside comforted by the wood stove. I think of everyone reading good books in wintertime – it allows me to envision my reader, to capture her attention. I can edit well in the sublime days of summer, but right now is my planting season and I damn the crocus. (Go Ducks! My alma mater.)

I do like writing by candlelight!

I always find it funny how similar the minds of creative people work. Going through a similar valley myself for a while now, I appreciate someone else speaking the same truths, and especially, coming to similar solutions! Everything in this post hits with me, but especially #5. I don’t know when I realized this as a creative writer, but whenever I did (a few years back), it opened a whole new understanding as how to nurture my subconscious. And the thing is, I felt like I’ve barely scratched the surface. Ugh, I wish I had a fire place ;-p. But yeah, you’re so right. And if I can encourage you any more, just remember that each season or chapter of your life gives you (creative) tools that you don’t even know were instructive. Whatever happens in your personal difficulties, it *will* influence your art for better. I have no doubt about it.

Fire places (and pits) are awesome. But just get a big candle. I found a big three-wick soy candle at TJ Maxx. It does the trick admirably–and with far less mess.

That’s a good idea. We have some candles, guess I should confiscate them under the guise of “writing necessities.”

Just keep them away from the dog. 😉

When getting to the page is the problem, I try to forgive myself. There are so many reasons why writing seems to take last place in life some days. But often I WANT to get to the page, even when life is throwing me curveballs.

When I don’t want to write because I’m fretting over a plot problem, I force myself to sit down. One technique I use to get past the block is to bring another character into the scene I don’t know how to write, typically a know-it-all who tells the other characters what to do. It might be good advice or it might be bad, but whichever it is, the new character acts as a catalyst. Whether the advice is good or bad, the protagonist then responds — he or she may do what the catalyst says to do, or may not, but SOMETHING will happen.

Once something has happened, and the scene is written, then I can edit it. It’s the blank page that’s most frightening.

Similarly, I used to have a list of prompts on the bulletin board by my desk. One was: “Have somebody shoot a gun at somebody else.” I never literally used it, but just glancing at it always got my creative mind going.

WOW! I am impressed. I’m a new subscriber and so this is the first time I’ve been here. The way you have designed this website is great. A moment after I clicked on the email you sent, I was here reading your fact filled blog, with no beating around the bush like some places do. The amount of useful information you have packed into this one article is amazing. I know I’ll have to go back and read it again several times just to absorb everything.

I’m not an author like you in the true sense of the word because I’ve never published anything yet, though I do enjoy playing with words. About four years ago, I completed a short, creative writing course sponsored by the University of Iowa. From three of the assignments, I’ve slowly, yes sadly to say, very gradually, been developing a story. Lately I’ve found that I can’t seem to get back to it, though after having written about 30,000 words, I’d like to see it finished. My tired fingers have punched out about the same number on another tale that’s unrelated to the first one. It too has come to a screeching halt. In my defense, I will admit that for awhile my work occupied every waking moment. I’m hoping some of the ideas presented here will get me going again. If nothing else, you have given me lots to think about.

I wanted to stop in to say ‘HI’ and to let you know I think you are doing a marvelous job here. THANK YOU for sharing some of your experiences with us. It is helpful to learn about how other people that have ‘been there and done that’ have worked their way through similar problems. Your fan club just grew by one because I know, I will be back.

I’m glad you stopped by. Great to hear you found the article useful!

And let me just say that, if you write, you’re a writer. Being published may offer official validation, but we’re all writers long before that happens. 🙂

Hear, hear! Indeed quite so!

When I get to that place that the flow for that day is not starting. I start writing a part that might or might not fall in place in this book. I have to pretend that it will be a part of one of the next scenes. Mostly it will fit in…but it gives me a next point to go to or to go from.

Thinking outside the box is huge in breaking through blocks. Usually, I find it’s not so much about a solution as it is simply rephrasing the problem. One of my favorite approaches is to work backwards. I’ll jump forward to a scene I know about, then start working my way backwards toward another known point, until I’ve filled in the blanks.

I have sometimes found that delays (like writer’s block) are a signal to me that I’m not ready yet for what I am attempting to accomplish. As difficult as it is for me to do it, I step away for a season (of varying lengths) and just wait. Often I will sense a small nudge when it’s time to return to the task. And when I do, usually I discover what was evading me before is now waiting patiently for me to come back and get reacquainted. I once heard Neil Gaiman say that it was ten years from the time he had the idea for The Graveyard Book until he was ready to write it. That is very encouraging to me!

Truth. And I’m considering this for myself at the moment. As much as I love order (and schedules), art and creativity don’t always play by the rules.

For the last few months, I’ve been struggling to find out how to get one sentence on the page, without deleting two. After sitting down to write every single day and only and only ending up with a page of decent writing, I knew that something wasn’t working. I needed to learn how to write fast, and be satisfied with terrible writing the first time around, just to get something on the page. This was the hardest thing I have ever tried to do, but it works, and if I can accomplish this, it will be the greatest writing victory I will ever score.

Hear, hear. Writing fast is one of the best ways to beat perfectionism in the drafting phase. Sometimes, when I’m really struggling with this, I will force myself to write 300 every 15 minutes. This always gets my fingers typing and the words flowing.

I wish I could join you in commiserating about the hard-hard moments, but I never showed up for them. Instead, I just put the stories on the side.

Do any of you face things that need to be done and you realize that you’ve refused to do what needed to be done because your real goals weren’t the service of the story. Like last week, I knew that I needed to put more focus on the danger posed by the antagonist. In order to do that, I had to have these thoughts elbow out the MC’s rhapsodizing crushy feelings for an ally. I wept at the prospect. I was able to do it, this time–I don’t yet know how successfully.

It is like, these people are a lot more to me than figures in a story. So I wonder if it will even be possible for me to persevere until the story happens.

Sounds like you’re faced with “killing some darlings.” This is always hard, but if it’s in the story’s best interest, it can open up a lot of avenues that were previously blocked.

Yes, there are days when writing is harder than usual. Conversely, there are days when it flows easily. Thanks for the roadmap for the tough writing days.

Truth! Nothing beats those days when we’re in the zone.

Thanks for this excellent list of strategies.

I have found some clues to help me overcome one of my current writer blocks: I haven’t been able to write my daily prayer blog for a while, and I am also having trouble keeping to the schedule for my writer blog. I will be praying about how to use your list to get me moving again )i(

So while I have been pushing aside the guilt associated with not fulfilling my promise to myself, I have picked up a pen and started taking notes on real paper. A while ago, I swapped the real ink and paper method for the faster typing of my ideas directly onto the computer page (which also allows me to hit delete because I don’t like what I discover). I chose a journal that was a gift, so ripping out a page is impossible, and each time I start writing a sentence, I feel a sense of privilege because I know that the book was given because the giver knew I want to be an author.

I have also subscribed to lots of reader-writer pages and newsletters, so that I don’t feel so isolated. Nothing beats filling my journal with notes and comments about how other writers deal with the BIG issues.

The one area where my writer’s block isn’t having a catastrophic outcome (ie blank page) is the Romantic Suspense series of novels I am writing. I am privileged to have three manuscripts, in different stages of pre-publication. When I get stalled with manuscript four, I can do some more work for the others. I set up a closed discussion group on facebook with friends who have already demonstrated that they are sensitive to my emotional state and make the appropriate comments that push me back into a more positive frame of mind. To let them know what is going on, I keep them updated with the project, and any other big issues relating to this writing journey. So far, their feedback has been helpful in moving me forward.

From the sounds of that last paragraph, I’d say you’re still being awfully productive for someone experiencing a block. Good for you! 🙂

“1. Just Admit the Writing Is Hard”

This actually works, holy cow! I just said those words to myself and all the tension in my mind just went away.

Hah! That’s awesome. 😀

Thank you for this post! I am actually struggling with an idea I like very much but don’t know how to make compelling enough! And with the tendency I have to over-complicate mi plot *sighs*

If you’re trying to make the story more compelling, take a good hard look at what it is *you* love most about this story. Try to add more of that.

I find that, sometimes, if I just start writing stream of consciousness, writing without thinking about it, whatever pops into my head, at some point in time it will dislodge the boulder that’s in the way and I can go back to thoughtful writing on the story I’m working on. I learned how to do this by reading Jack Kerouac and other “beat generation” writers, plus William Faulkner. I am told this is how these people wrote everything. Stream of consciousness, no revision, just wrap it up and send it to the publisher. I’m not recommending that, but the practice does often work to get the muse unstuck. Then I take the drivel and send it to electron heaven. Certainlywouldn’t want to foist it on anyone else.

Stream of conscious techniques are excellent ways of tapping the subconscious creativity. This is basically what I’m talking about (sans the actual writing of sentences) when I’m “dreamzoning.”

Wonderful and timely article. LOVED it. I read through my outline and take notes. Right now I am struggling with the sequence for ACT2b. I know what should be there, I know what my ending is. I am struggling with what organically should be in this sequence without cliche stuff. I also write the Cliche stuff and then Mind map how to make it non-cliche. And then there are times where I call it out and say I am resisting writing. Once I say that, then I become determined to overcome the resistance. A great book on that is The War On Art by Steven Pressfield. Once I recognize the resistance, I pull out my outline notes and just read and before I know it I am working on my story again and breaking through the Plot Block and the resistance.

One thing I like to do in situations like this is ask myself two questions: What will the readers expect to happen here? And-What won’t they expect?

I’ll write lists of answers for both questions and usually somewhere in there I’ll find a unique solution.

I have hit this several times since taking up writing more seriously a few years ago. Like you said, sometimes it’s just “plot block”. but for me, many times it’s actually something else that is sucking me dry (parenting, homeschooling, commitments to friends or other groups), leaving me feeling like I have nothing left to create with. I’ve tried a lot of things, but consistently I find that planning ahead in everyday life (meal planning, making a double batch of food, ordering things from amazon rather than running to the store) and taking the time to do the little things I enjoy (getting a nice smelling bar of soap, starting a fire, or enjoying a new kind of tea) help me to feel a little more relaxed and ready to try. maybe the words will be few, maybe they will be awful. but overall I will feel better when I start trying and will feel better when I end because I tried.

“I will feel better when I start trying and will feel better when I end because I tried.”

Love this. Sometimes even just making the time to write a sentence makes the day better. And one sentence often leads to two…

Another great article, KM!

I just got out of a long writer’s “funk” a couple days back, but I know these tips will prove useful in the future when I get stuck again.

This time, for me, it was mostly about distractions – shiny object syndrome, which feeds my self-proclaimed “useful procrastination.” It’s so easy to give in to chasing after a tool or skill that at the time seems to offer exactly what I think I need to move on, scale up, or just plain improve momentously. There’s always something, and they almost never deliver the injection of super-mojo I was hoping for. In some ways this is the curse of the internet – TMGP (too many green pastures).

At any rate, I got some life-changing news recently and it made me reevaluate all this arm-flapping activity. I realize now that, while some of that stuff is important to follow up on (there is good stuff to be learned), it is not as important as doing the hardest and most rewarding work I’ve ever known: writing.

Here’s hoping you come out of your current “funk” with colors flying and your hair on fire! KC

Glad to hear you made it to the other side!

This post came at just the right time for me! My main character is in prison and some fellow prisoners are working with him to escape. He then chooses not to escape but the escaped prisoners see him as a friend and ally. I have been stuck on this for days! I have bought your book on writer’s block (a very fair price). And being rewarded with a solution following your ‘what if’ scenario which came to me as I was writing this. It’s blindingly obvious really. He does escape but then he is caught and put back into prison. Yes! Yes! Thank you

That’s great! The “what if” exercises is one of my all-time favorites.

Hi. I was interested with the fact that your problems are arising from the fact that your current WIP is the last in a series. This is exactly tha situation that I am in. The first two books are ready to self publish but I don’t want to do that until I’ve got a fair idea of how Book 3 will pan out. There’s plenty of foreshadowing in the first two books that I can use (or not), but they are all looking a tad contrived as I’ve been thinking about them for so long. And then there’s the self-inflicted time pressure to finish it that I’ve put on myself!

Yes, as I’m discovering, writing sequels is a whole new ballgame. Usually, when I finish a book, I’m able to put it and its problems aside for a while as I move on to outlining the next one. But not so with this one! The problems came right along with me. 😉

This podcast confirmed what I’ve been going through with writer’s block. Life hits and we need to be settled again. Thank you for your insights.

Sorry to hear that. Here’s to all of us moving forward!

My problem is usually motivation. I’ll get as far as sitting in front of the keyboard and will start typing. But then whatever I type seems wrong and I can’t figure out what it is. I end up walking away from the keyboard.

The solution I use when facing this problem is writing in timed bursts. I tell myself I have to write 300 words in 15 minutes. Once I get going, I’m almost always surprised that what writing isn’t that bad after all.

Where does self-doubt fall under types of writer’s block? Does it have the same cures, or different? To me it feels like a different beast, but maybe not!

Yeah, self-doubt is a huge factor in blocks. I go through (at least) one bout of impostor’s syndrome with every book I write. That’s part of my “cocktail of convergences” right now, actually. :p The only solution I know of is to ignore the nay-saying inner voice and just keep moving forward.

I decided that since I was still waking up at the same time (cats 😂) but going in to work later, I should schedule that extra time for writing, or at least thinking about what I need to write. Haven’t got perfect with that – I’m very distractible. But it’s helped me realize that the problem I was having was that my story’s premise didn’t fit the main character. I’m rethinking the premise. Haven’t done any more actual writing yet, but starting to understand what I need to write once I’m ready.

Good for you. I’m all about hacking life.

Thank you so much for writing this! It has really shed some light on why writing has been so hard for me lately, and what I can do about it. You rock, K.M.!

That’s great. We’re all going to conquer this together. 🙂

I’m currently writing and finding that my words just don’t sound the way I want them to. I’ve set a small daily word count that so far I’m on track with but I think that I’m going to have to go back and rewrite it to the style and sound that I’d like. But as the saying goes, “You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”

Truer words never written. Perfectionism is often a chief cause of writer’s block.

Thanks for this post! I can relay on that 🙂

I find myself with the hard, hard writer’s block over a month now, and it still doesn’t works. I know, what I want to write. I think I know enough about the outline. I found a good beginning a few days ago, but the flow just don’t want to come. The thing is, sometimes I prefer dreamzoning instead of real writing, and the problem with that is, that you could get addicted to it. On the other hand, if you don’t write… then what sense does it have? My main characters are surprisingly cooperative. Too cooperative. This may sound strange to some people, but though it’s annoying if the characters don’t want to go along with my definer outline, I get easier into that writing flow when they aren’t.

I will try a new writing routine next week, that includes more less, but hopefully more focused and productive writing. I’m also up to resolve the biggest problem in my life outside writing, so I hope I can start writing regulary at the end of next month. Or earlier.

Again, thanks for the post, I think it helps me to be more efficient in trying to accomplish my goal and, therefore: Solving that damn writer’s block problem 😀

Creativity is messy, and that’s just part of the deal. But I’m a fan of efficiency. It never fails to help me. Best of luck!

Hey, KM, you mentioned in an article a few weeks that you researched keywords for Wayfarer. I’ve a reference to that elsewhere, but I don’t know where to look or research. Do you have any tips? Thanks

I used KDP Rocket . I’m planning to do a review and more in-depth post about it in a few months.

I come to writing novels after having first written screenplays, only to discover how much more difficult it is to write a novel than a screenplay. A screenplay is a kind of blueprint for a movie. The emphasis is on clear direction to the actors and director, and snappy dialogue. Flowery descriptions don’t work as screen direction, so the whole game is a concise capturing of dialogue and actions.

One technique in writing for the screen that may be helpful to novel writers derives from this more simplified structure. In “Television and Screen Writing From Concept to Contract” by Richard A. Blum, Mr. Blum suggests the idea of a step-outline, which is a very simple numerical listing of the events of the story, usually in chronological order, including snippets of dialogue. I bought this book when I experienced another form of writer’s block; I sat down to write a screenplay and realized I had no idea how to write a screenplay.

I have found writing these outlines are so free from critical concerns about structure that they devolve into a brainstorming effort where the creative side of the brain is completely free. I wrote these outlines longhand with a glass of wine while at some relatively quiet tavern, or while on vacation on a boat somewhere. I am the type that is typically alone in crowd, which is a little better for me than being alone in my room.

I found at times I would have to rearrange events and make other revisions when writing the script, but this technique definitely helped sketch out the overall flow of the story. Moving to a novel from the script involved a lot of decisions about POV and such that I never considered, and the excruciatingly painful search for different and interesting ways to say things like “walked” and “looked”. In screen direction, actors typically walk and look, rather than “saunter” or “peruse.” Novel descriptions may actually confuse actors, especially those with lighter hair. Oh, snap! I didn’t just say that!

Once I had the step outline worked out, the script was just “scribbling and bibbling,” as Mozart said in Amadeus. Getting a novel is trickier from the step outline, but you will have the ammunition for completing a more formal outline, and the confidence that you have the backbone of the story worked out.

Anyway, if anyone gets stuck, this simple technique might help. If you are stuck trying to figure out how to tie details together, it might help to step back and focus on the simple steps that make a story, then work the details in later. Don’t worry so much about what the story “needs” and focus on sketching how the dominoes fail, and let them fall where they may. You can always pick them up and rearrange them later.

Bit of a late commenter, but just wanted to say I really appreciated this post. Ever since self-publishing my first novel back in December of 2016 (which is also when I found out I was expecting my first child), I’ve been battling the “hard-hard” blocks almost consistently. I had to come to peace with the fact that my life was changing in a seriously HUGE way, and that I needed to give myself time and space to process and do what was best for myself first.

I still haven’t found my writing flow…and here I am, now with 2 kids and a third on the way. I’m not sure I will ever write as much as I used to, but there is a flame of passion in me that refuses to go out. So I will keep journaling (as that’s about the only writing I’m consistently able to do) and let my story ideas keep percolating.

There are moments here and there where I have a few ideas ready to put on paper for safe keeping, and I relish those moments. But to your point of taking care of yourself FIRST, that is truly essential to the process. I just have to trust that I WILL write again, and not guilt myself for putting myself and my growing family as top priority, for however long it needs to be that way.

I’m a writer who deals with recurring depression and I often forget how important and legitimate self-care is. Some days are just not going to be writing days. Some days, I need to re-charge my brain with yoga or a long walk or even a nostalgic marathon of a favorite kids’ TV show. I’m often surprised by the ideas I get while doing seemingly unproductive tasks.

My case of plotter’s block right now consists of me being unsure of which story I should ACTUALLY be working on right now. I’ve been dabbling on The Woodsman lately, and have multiple scenes written out. I even have some of the ending written!

But then I was thinking of Arrows today…and argh, I just have a hard time focusing in general!

Of course, I could try to get up early before work to write…but I’m sort of a night owl, so I never end up in bed on time to do that.

Something I should work on the next few months…

I’ve taken the plunge to choose an editor for my manuscript. I found it always hard to take time out to rest and recuperate but I did. I gave myself permission. We’d had a horrific time of a family member’s illness over Christmas so it was encouraging to know that I could take the pressure off. I didn’t write for weeks knowing that the assessment was coming and I’d be rested. Gave myself guilt-free time off to do other things and as you said, fill up the well. Movies, books, people, keep my fitness up. Now I’m reading the report, fresher and looking forward to tackling the issues. It’s not going to be easy as I have to move plot points and do a lot of fixing work. Thank you for your input. It’s very helpful.

[…] 25, 2019 by K.M. WEILAND | @KMWEILAND 102 COMMENTSWRITER’S […]

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The Pleasures and Pains of Writing

Comments about articles on the internet have become mean-spirited and nasty..

Posted January 3, 2021

Writing has been a rewarding avocation of mine for most of my life. (By "rewarding," I refer to emotional fulfillment, rather than financial.)

It has never been my primary profession and I don’t pretend to be a supremely gifted writer, but writing has always beckoned me as a kind of “calling.” I’ve always enjoyed the rituals of expressing my thoughts by putting pen to paper, writing cursive words on a blank page, or more recently, typing on a computer device.

My muse has always been "life" in all its complexities, wonders, and woes. I’ve written regular newspaper and magazine columns, op-ed pieces and articles, academic papers and chapters, poems (doggerel!) and books, all of which brought me stimulation and pleasure.

I leave it to others to evaluate the quality of my writing, but I’ve received sufficient encouragement to continue and not enough criticism to stop. Aside from kudos or criticisms, however, I have my own inner urge to continue expressing myself via written words.

When I am deeply involved in the process of writing, I often enter a trance-like state of inner tranquility and flowing thoughts. External noises and even minor havoc are seemingly walled off from my hearing and consciousness (sometimes to the chagrin of my family).

Creative writing has also been “therapeutic” for me in that when troubled, I’ve written (for my eyes only) about my problems in order to work things through, which I’ve found very helpful.

There were also times, of course, when my pleasure was diminished by the pressures of looming deadlines, or challenging topics, insufficient preparation, or by “writer’s block,” an occupational hazard. But none of these deterred me for long, and my joy in writing continued.

Over the years I received compliments from some readers, as well as critiques from others about some perspectives I had written. While I naturally preferred compliments (surprise!), I also welcomed negative feedback, especially when interesting discussion or debate followed.

In my early years of writing, critical feedback was polite and respectful, even when taking me to task. (Sometimes, the critics were right on.)

And then along came the internet, the explosion of social media , and things changed: Polite discourse was displaced by disdain and derision. There were still kudos, but criticism became more plentiful and personally antagonistic.

I was not an exception: Critiques of many other (and better) writers and pundits came with an added veneer of nastiness. The respectful and civil disagreements of earlier years were supplanted by insulting and accusatory words, and even threats to the writers.

There is now such a remarkable amount of anger in these “verbal assaults" that I can picture fulminating aggressive snarls emanating from fuming contorted faces.

As you know, these unpleasant angry remarks in the blogosphere are referred to as "trolling," and those who do this are called "trollers." It strikes me that they so frequently seem “outraged!” They are irate about serious issues like politics or the pandemic, but everything is now fair game. They are also outraged about benign, superficial issues: Physical appearances, performances or behaviors, fashion or sports, can provoke equally furious comments.

Angry trollers feel free to spew hateful comments because they’re protected by the anonymity afforded by popular internet sites. They take advantage of this to inflict intimidation, emotional hurt, and even incite physical harm. Social media platforms have enabled cranks and conspiracy theorists to say anything without fear of being identified, confronted, or punished.

We shouldn’t be surprised: Over the past few years, we have witnessed increasing displays of incivility and rudeness in everyday life in shops and the streets, in offices and restaurants, in meetings, and even in families.

Some of our public “models” of behavior, whom adults emulate and youngsters copy, are loud and belligerent politicians, talk-radio hosts, or other authoritarian figures. Their bluster and rancor is “negative social noise” which provokes unsettling moods, angst, and anger.

Thankfully, writers throughout the world are not silenced by verbal nastiness, and they continue their inspired endeavors in all languages, creating columns and op-ed pieces, chapters and books, letters and poetry, drama scripts, and screenplays. If anything, writing and other creative pursuits are flourishing beyond any previous era of humanity.

Criticism and debate are vital to the democratic process and we cherish our First Amendment right to Free Speech. We are fortunate that we can express unpopular opinions without fear of official reprisals. But that ability to speak freely cannot justify incendiary language. Assaultive verbal attacks demean and threaten, and can actually hurt or harm individuals.

There are legal limits that can be invoked in extreme cases of slander. But I worry about a social atmosphere that enables and encourages rudeness and incivility. When disrespect and aggression become acceptable norms of behaviors, they spread (virally!) via “ social contagion .” When benevolence is diminished and rudeness commonplace we are in deep trouble as a society.

My own writings have occasionally provoked a few readers who vehemently disagreed and felt compelled to include nasty and demeaning insults in their critiques. I have not received threats to my personal or my family’s well-being, but I must say that a few vicious missives have unnerved me.

I no longer personally respond to nasty criticisms for fear of opening up communications with furious people with self-righteous entrenched beliefs. This has unfortunately limited my direct contact with readers since I can no longer engage in the interesting discussions I once enjoyed.

There are recent signs that giant internet monopolies will finally be better monitored and regulated by governments, so that malevolent and destructive words may soon be diminished, or even extinguished. Even without these developments, I will continue to write my own perspectives, and readers will continue to be entertained, edified, or enraged, and can ignore, enjoy, or disagree with my contributions.

I just beg of you: Feel free to express your criticisms (and of course your compliments!) to writers, but please, tone down your disgust and hate, your fire and fury.

It’s not good for your health, and certainly not for ours.

Saul Levine M.D. , is a professor emeritus at the University of California at San Diego.

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BRYN DONOVAN

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How to Describe Pain in Writing

What’s the worst pain you’ve ever felt? And how would you describe it?

Describing physical pain in writing is a challenge that most writers face at one time or another. A character might have a headache, give birth, or get injured in an accident or a battle. (By the way, if you’re reading this, you might also want to check out my writer’s guide to serious injuries and calamities .)

When I was writing my book The Equinox Stone , I did a lot of thinking about ways to describe pain since my characters get pretty banged up over the course of the book. Near the end (spoilers), one of them has several injuries, and I wrote: “His adrenaline was burning off, leaving him in a symphony of pain, one part of his body screaming, the other parts answering with agony of their own.” I really liked the “symphony of pain” idea.

Since so many writers look for ways to describe pain in creative writing, I figured I should do a master list of words and phrases to use. I’ve also suggested ways that the character can react to the pain, which you could use whether you’re writing from the point of view of the person in pain or the point of view of someone with them. Some of these could probably be adapted to emotional rather than physical pain.

In most cases, you probably won’t use these ways to describe pain verbatim (although you’re certainly welcome to, even with the longer phrases.) You’ll adapt it for the paragraph you’re writing. You might also combine one or two ideas. Like all my master lists, it’ll probably make you think of even more ideas.

Save the post as a bookmark or a Pinterest pin so you’ll have it when you need it!

"HOW TO DESCRIBE PAIN IN WRITING: get the list of words and phrases at bryndonovan.com" image of thorns

she braced herself for the pain

a dull ache

a deep ache in his bones

a throbbing ache

his head throbbed

pain filled her head

pain squeezed her head

a jab of pain

a burst of pain

a flash of pain

prickles of pain

a blaze of pain

a stinging pain

a spike of pain

white-hot pain

a sharp pain

a shooting pain

a stabbing pain

a piercing pain

a corrosive pain

a crippling pain

a searing pain

a grating pain

a grinding pain

a drumbeat of pain

pain shot up her leg

pain surged through her body

pain lashed across his lower back

pain ripped through her chest

pain branched across their back like lightning

pain lacerated her shoulder

pain twisted his belly

a cramp seized her foot

pain exploded behind her eyeballs

the pain flared in his leg

a flaming pain in her wrist

a burning pain in her neck

pain coursed through his body

pain like a sharp knife in his gut

pain lanced through him

pain went through her like a sword/spear

blinded with pain

dizzy from the pain

disoriented from the pain

the pain blossomed in his midsection

the pain spread through her bowels

a wave of pain rolled through her

pain crashed through his body

he let out a gasp from the pain

she panted with pain

she hissed with pain

he grimaced in pain

he managed to grin through the pain

he winced at the pain

she cringed at the pain

they strained against the pain

she curled up in pain

he doubled over with agony

she writhed in pain

he moaned in pain

she sucked in a sharp breath at the pain

he howled in pain

she grunted from the pain

he let out a cry of pain

she bit back a cry of pain

she yelped with pain

he let out a shriek of pain

he screeched in pain

she screamed in pain

the pain brought tears to his eyes

he quivered with pain

he was wracked by pain

she trembled from the pain

she was shaking from the torment

she convulsed with pain

his breathing was shallow

the pain took her breath away

they tried to breathe through the pain

she tried to focus on something other than the pain

he clutched his head in agony

she clamped her hand around her stubbed toe

he cradled his wounded arm

he grasped her hand tightly as the pain hit

she gritted her teeth against the pain

he clenched his teeth when the pain hit

his face was drawn with pain

her face was twisted with pain

she stiffened with the pain

he went rigid with agony

her back arched off the bed with the pain

she spoke haltingly from the pain

his voice was tight with pain

her voice was rough with pain

it hurt too much for him to speak

pain like he’d never felt before

the pain robbed her of rational thought

he was out of his mind with pain

she was delirious with pain

he prayed for an end to the suffering

she wished for the release of death

he blacked out from the pain

the pain abated

the pain eased

the drugs softened the pain

the pain faded

the pain diminished

the pain evaporated

the pain dissolved

the pain released her

the pain subsided

the pain dulled

the pain drained out of her body

how to describe pain in writing | image of a bunch of sharp pins

Okay, I could do this all day, but I’ll stop it here! Do you have other thoughts about creative ways to describe pain? Let us know in the comments!

And if you’re not following the blog already, go ahead and subscribe below for more writing resources. Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

Discover more from BRYN DONOVAN

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Are You In An Emergency?

Writing papers makes me anxious!

Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) (Morningside)
Counseling Services (CUIMC)

Cite this Response

Alice! Health Promotion. "Writing papers makes me anxious!." Go Ask Alice!, Columbia University, 24 Jun. 2022, https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/writing-papers-makes-me-anxious. Accessed 16, May. 2024.

Copy Citation

Alice! Health Promotion. (2022, June 24). Writing papers makes me anxious!. Go Ask Alice!, https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/writing-papers-makes-me-anxious.

Dear Alice,

I have terrible anxiety about writing papers. Because of this, I put them off, need to ask for extensions, and then have more anxiety about completing the assignment. In addition, when I start writing, I find it difficult to keep going, especially because I hit what may seem to others as small roadblocks, like uncertainty about citation format. I don’t experience nearly as much stress about other types of work (e.g., studying for and taking exams). What can I do to get over or at least cope reasonably with this fear?

Dear Reader,

Just thinking about writing anxiety made this answer more difficult to compose. You see, writing anxiety and writer’s block are concerns for both students and professionals of all ages and academic levels. In fact, even the most seasoned writers experience anxiety or writer’s block now and then. Fortunately, writing is a complex process that, with practice and patience, may be improved. Read on for some strategies for overcoming the roadblock you’re experiencing.

Writing anxiety comes in multiple forms such as an inability to form an idea, a physical struggle to manifest words on the paper, or a fear of not meeting expectations that hinders your progress. The four main causes of writer’s block include psychological, motivational, cognitive, and behavioral reasons. Psychological causes often include mood or stressors that affect cognitive processing. Motivation-related blocks often arise from a fear of failure. Similarly, those categorized as cognitive causes stem from perfectionism and obsession with details, much like you described in your uncertainty when formatting citations. Lastly, the most common cause of writing anxiety is behavioral changes such as procrastination. Procrastination may lead to a domino effect in which more work doesn’t get done and the pile-up becomes overwhelming. Writer’s block is different for everyone not only in its cause but also in its manifestation and how long it lasts. For some, it may occur for a few minutes and for others it may take decades to overcome, but it’s good to know that it’s possible.

It’s worth noting that more and more research has been dedicated to understanding the psychology behind writer’s block in order to help conquer it. Multiple studies have concluded that writer’s block is most effectively combated by giving the brain a break. This period of time is called the incubation period and could include activities such as going on a walk, playing a word game, or getting a full night’s sleep. When done for an appropriate amount of time, these mental breaks could help writers to think more creatively and find inspiration. Fortunately, writing anxiety is typically a product of a writer’s habits, and habits are changeable! You’ve already made a great first step by identifying a few things that don’t work for you — procrastination and obtaining deadline extensions provide you little or no relief. Now, the next step is to try out or adopt some new habits. To help relieve the anxiety and fear you feel about writing papers, implementing any of the following strategies may be useful:

Stay on top of your reading assignments and do your best to attend classes — that way you won’t have to cram or teach yourself course material before writing your papers.
Prior to writing, brainstorm ideas. Create a chart or write down topics of interest to refer back to while writing.
Follow the guidelines your professor talked about in class or included in a syllabus or grading rubric. If you’re not sure about the guidelines, ask for clarification early.
Start writing even before you envision your entire argument. Getting words down on paper may help you come up with the rest of your writing assignment. Try free writing or diagramming to inspire ideas.
Compose different parts of your paper in whatever order feels easy. You’re not required to write in sequential order, as long as the final product is well-organized. Some find it helpful to start with the sections that come naturally and move toward the more challenging parts.
Avoid stopping and editing each sentence as you write. This will slow you down. Instead, consider writing your paper in several whole drafts, and take breaks between editing. Remind yourself that the first draft is low-pressure and exploratory.
Write your paper in several sittings rather than trying to crank it out in one marathon session. Attempting to write a paper in one sitting may overwhelm you, thereby distracting you from your task.
Avoid distractions by turning off your internet and cellphone or writing a draft by hand.
Get feedback from others. Many schools offer writing support services such as helping you develop and structure ideas, find research, connect thoughts, strengthen your understanding of grammar, and much more.
Seek out additional support. If you’re wondering if your writing block is related to a learning disability, you can check to see if your school as an office of disability services that provides support to students.

You can also reach out to instructors or a tutor to help implement these strategies for combating writing anxiety. Remember that writing anxiety is common — and you’re certainly not alone. However, if you continue to experience these feelings and need additional support, you might find it helpful to reach out to a mental health professional.

Additional Relevant Topics:

How do i implement time management strategies and avoid procrastination, struggling with stress and tools for managing it, help i struggle while classmates seem to breeze through coursework, how to find a therapist.

Essay Writing Tips: 10 Steps to Writing a Great Essay (And Have Fun Doing It!)

by Joe Bunting | 118 comments

Want to Become a Published Author? In 100 Day Book, you’ll finish your book guaranteed. Learn more and sign up here.

Do you dread essay writing? Are you looking for some essay tips that will help you write an amazing essay—and have fun doing it?

Lots of students, young and old, dread essay writing. It's a daunting assignment, one that takes research, time, and concentration.

It's also an assignment that you can break up into simple steps that make writing an essay manageable and, yes, even enjoyable.

These ten essay tips completely changed my writing process—and I hope that they can do the same for you.

Essay Writing Can Be Fun

Honestly, throughout most of high school and college, I was a mediocre essay writer.

Every once in a while, I would write a really good essay, but mostly I skated by with B's and A-minuses.

I know personally how boring writing an essay can be, and also, how hard it can be to write a good one.

However, toward the end of my time as a student, I made a breakthrough. I figured out how to not only write a great essay, I learned how to have fun while doing it .

And since then, I've become a professional writer and have written more than a dozen books. I'm not saying that these essay writing tips are going to magically turn you into a writer, but at least they can help you enjoy the process more.

I'm excited to share these ten essay writing tips with you today! But first, we need to talk about why writing an essay is so hard.

Why Writing an Essay Is So Hard

When it comes to essay writing, a lot of students find a reason to put it off. And when they tackle it, they find it difficult to string sentences together that sound like a decent stance on the assigned subject.

Here are a few reasons why essay writing is hard:

You'd rather be scrolling through Facebook
You're trying to write something your teacher or professor will like
You're trying to get an A instead of writing something that's actually good
You want to do the least amount of work possible

The biggest reason writing an essay is so hard is because we mostly focus on those external rewards like getting a passing grade, winning our teacher's approval, or just avoiding accusations of plagiarism.

The problem is that when you focus on external approval it not only makes writing much less fun, it also makes it significantly harder.

Because when you focus on external approval, you shut down your subconscious, and the subconscious is the source of your creativity.

The subconscious is the source of your creativity.

What this means practically is that when you're trying to write that perfect, A-plus-worthy sentence, you're turning off most of your best resources and writing skills.

So stop. Stop trying to write a good essay (or even a “good-enough” essay). Instead, write an interesting essay, write an essay you think is fascinating. And when you're finished, go back and edit it until it's “good” according to your teacher's standards.

Yes, you need to follow the guidelines in your assignment. If your teacher tells you to write a five-paragraph essay, then write a five-paragraph essay! If your teacher asks for a specific type of essay, like an analysis, argument, or research essay, then make sure you write that type of essay!

However, within those guidelines, find room to express something that is uniquely you .

I can't guarantee you'll get a higher grade (although, you almost certainly will), but I can absolutely promise you'll have a lot more fun writing.

The Step-by-Step Process to Writing a Great Essay: Your 10 Essay Writing Tips

Ready to get writing? You can read my ten best tips for having fun while writing an essay that earns you the top grade, or check out this presentation designed by our friends at Canva Presentations .

1. Remember your essay is just a story.

Every story is about conflict and change, and the truth is that essays are about conflict and change, too! The difference is that in an essay, the conflict is between different ideas , and the change is in the way we should perceive those ideas.

That means that the best essays are about surprise: “You probably think it's one way, but in reality, you should think of it this other way.” See tip #3 for more on this.

How do you know what story you're telling? The prompt should tell you.

Any list of essay prompts includes various topics and tasks associated with them. Within those topics are characters (historical, fictional, or topical) faced with difficult choices. Your job is to work with those choices, usually by analyzing them, arguing about them, researching them, or describing them in detail.

2. Before you start writing, ask yourself, “How can I have the most fun writing this?”

It's normal to feel unmotivated when writing an academic essay. I'm a writer, and honestly, I feel unmotivated to write all the time. But I have a super-ninja, judo-mind trick I like to use to help motivate myself.

Here's the secret trick: One of the interesting things about your subconscious is that it will answer any question you ask yourself. So whenever you feel unmotivated to write your essay, ask yourself the following question:

“How much fun can I have writing this?”

Your subconscious will immediately start thinking of strategies to make the writing process more fun.

The best time to have your fun is the first draft. Since you're just brainstorming within the topic, and exploring the possible ways of approaching it, the first draft is the perfect place to get creative and even a little scandalous. Here are some wild suggestions to make your next essay a load of fun:

Research the most surprising or outrageous fact about the topic and use it as your hook.
Use a thesaurus to research the topic's key words. Get crazy with your vocabulary as you write, working in each key word synonym as much as possible.
Play devil's advocate and take the opposing or immoral side of the issue. See where the discussion takes you as you write.

3. As you research, ask yourself, “What surprises me about this subject?”

The temptation, when you're writing an essay, is to write what you think your teacher or professor wants to read.

Don't do this .

Instead, ask yourself, “What do I find interesting about this subject? What surprises me?”

If you can't think of anything that surprises you, anything you find interesting, then you're not searching well enough, because history, science, and literature are all brimming over with surprises. When you look at how great ideas actually happen, the story is always, “We used to think the world was this way. We found out we were completely wrong, and that the world is actually quite different from what we thought.”

These pieces of surprising information often make for the best topic sentences as well. Use them to outline your essay and build your body paragraphs off of each unique fact or idea. These will function as excellent hooks for your reader as you transition from one topic to the next.

(By the way, what sources should you use for research? Check out tip #10 below.)

4. Overwhelmed? Write five original sentences.

The standard three-point essay is really made up of just five original sentences surrounded by supporting paragraphs that back up those five sentences. If you're feeling overwhelmed, just write five sentences covering your most basic main points.

Here's what they might look like for this article:

Introductory Paragraph: While most students consider writing an essay a boring task, with the right mindset, it can actually be an enjoyable experience.
Body #1: Most students think writing an essay is tedious because they focus on external rewards.
Body #2: Students should instead focus on internal fulfillment when writing an essay.
Body #3: Not only will focusing on internal fulfillment allow students to have more fun, it will also result in better essays.
Conclusion: Writing an essay doesn't have to be simply a way to earn a good grade. Instead, it can be a means of finding fulfillment.

After you write your five sentences, it's easy to fill in the paragraphs for each one.

Now, you give it a shot!

5. Be “source heavy.”

In college, I discovered a trick that helped me go from a B-average student to an A-student, but before I explain how it works, let me warn you. This technique is powerful , but it might not work for all teachers or professors. Use with caution.

As I was writing a paper for a literature class, I realized that the articles and books I was reading said what I was trying to say much better than I ever could. So what did I do? I quoted them liberally throughout my paper. When I wasn't quoting, I re-phrased what they said in my own words, giving proper credit, of course. I found that not only did this formula create a well-written essay, it took about half the time to write.

It's good to keep in mind that using anyone else's words, even when morphed into your own phrasing, requires citation. While the definition of plagiarism is shifting with the rise of online collaboration and cooperative learning environments, always err on the side of excessive citation to be safe.

When I used this technique, my professors sometimes mentioned that my papers were very “source” heavy. However, at the same time, they always gave me A's.

To keep yourself safe, I recommend using a 60/40 approach with your body paragraphs: Make sure 60% of the words are your own analysis and argumentation, while 40% can be quoted (or text you paraphrase) from your sources.

Like the five sentence trick, this technique makes the writing process simpler. Instead of putting the main focus on writing well, it instead forces you to research well, which some students find easier.

6. Write the body first, the introduction second, and the conclusion last.

Introductions are often the hardest part to write because you're trying to summarize your entire essay before you've even written it yet. Instead, try writing your introduction last, giving yourself the body of the paper to figure out the main point of your essay.

This is especially important with an essay topic you are not personally interested in. I definitely recommend this in classes you either don't excel in or care much for. Take plenty of time to draft and revise your body paragraphs before attempting to craft a meaningful introductory paragraph.

Otherwise your opening may sound awkward, wooden, and bland.

7. Most essays answer the question, “What?” Good essays answer the “Why?” The best essays answer the “How?”

If you get stuck trying to make your argument, or you're struggling to reach the required word count, try focusing on the question, “How?”

For example:

How did J.D. Salinger convey the theme of inauthenticity in The Catcher In the Rye ?
How did Napoleon restore stability in France after the French Revolution?
How does the research prove girls really do rule and boys really do drool?

If you focus on how, you'll always have enough to write about.

8. Don't be afraid to jump around.

Essay writing can be a dance. You don't have to stay in one place and write from beginning to end.

For the same reasons listed in point #6, give yourself the freedom to write as if you're circling around your topic rather than making a single, straightforward argument. Then, when you edit and proofread, you can make sure everything lines up correctly.

In fact, now is the perfect time to mention that proofreading your essay isn't just about spelling and commas.

It's about making sure your analysis or argument flows smoothly from one idea to another. (Okay, technically this comprises editing, but most students writing a high school or college essay don't take the time to complete every step of the writing process. Let's be honest.)

So as you clean up your mechanics and sentence structure, make sure your ideas flow smoothly, logically, and naturally from one to the next as you finish proofreading.

9. Here are some words and phrases you don't want to use.

You (You'll notice I use a lot of you's, which is great for a blog post. However, in an academic essay, it's better to omit the second-person.)
To Be verbs (is, are, was, were, am)

Don't have time to edit? Here's a lightning-quick editing technique .

A note about “I”: Some teachers say you shouldn't use “I” statements in your writing, but the truth is that professional, academic papers often use phrases like “I believe” and “in my opinion,” especially in their introductions.

10. It's okay to use Wikipedia, if…

Wikipedia is one of the top five websites in the world for a reason: it can be a great tool for research. However, most teachers and professors don't consider Wikipedia a valid source for use in essays.

Don't totally discount it, though! Here are two ways you can use Wikipedia in your essay writing:

Background research. If you don't know enough about your topic, Wikipedia can be a great resource to quickly learn everything you need to know to get started.
Find sources . Check the reference section of Wikipedia's articles on your topic. While you may not be able to cite Wikipedia itself, you can often find those original sources and cite them . You can locate the links to primary and secondary sources at the bottom of any Wikipedia page under the headings “Further Reading” and “References.”

You Can Enjoy Essay Writing

The thing I regret most about high school and college is that I treated it like something I had to do rather than something I wanted to do.

The truth is, education is an opportunity many people in the world don't have access to.

It's a gift, not just something that makes your life more difficult. I don't want you to make the mistake of just “getting by” through school, waiting desperately for summer breaks and, eventually, graduation.

How would your life be better if you actively enjoyed writing an essay? What would school look like if you wanted to suck it dry of all the gifts it has to give you?

All I'm saying is, don't miss out!

Looking for More Essay Writing Tips?

Looking for more essay tips to strengthen your essay writing? Try some of these resources:

7 Tips on Writing an Effective Essay
Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

How about you? Do you have any tips for writing an essay? Let us know in the comments .

Need more grammar help? My favorite tool that helps find grammar problems and even generates reports to help improve my writing is ProWritingAid . Works with Word, Scrivener, Google Docs, and web browsers. Also, be sure to use my coupon code to get 20 percent off: WritePractice20

Coupon Code:WritePractice20 »

Ready to try out these ten essay tips to make your essay assignment fun? Spend fifteen minutes using tip #4 and write five original sentences that could be turned into an essay.

When you're finished, share your five sentences in the comments section. And don't forget to give feedback to your fellow writers!

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Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

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Guest Essay

When I Applied to College, I Didn’t Want to ‘Sell My Pain’

By Elijah Megginson

Mr. Megginson is a high school senior in Brooklyn.

In school, most kids are told that they have the potential to do great things in life. They’re told the sky’s the limit. As I started to be recognized as a promising student, around eighth grade, I was told, “You’re smart and you’re from the hood, you’re from the projects, colleges will love you.”

When I heard this, I was confused. I always looked at being from the hood as a bad thing. It was something I was quite ashamed of when I was younger. So for my teachers and advisers to make it seem like it was a cool thing made me feel good inside, until I fully realized what they were talking about.

In my life, I’ve had a lot of unfortunate experiences. So when it came time for me to write my personal statement for college applications, I knew that I could sell a story about all the struggles I had overcome. Each draft I wrote had a different topic. The first was about growing up without my dad being involved, the second was about the many times my life was violently threatened, the third was about coping with anxiety and PTSD, and the rest followed the same theme.

Every time I wrote, and then discarded and then redrafted, I didn’t feel good. It felt as if I were trying to gain pity. I knew what I went through was tough and to overcome those challenges was remarkable, but was that all I had to offer?

Conflicted, I asked around to see what others had written. I spoke to my old middle school algebra teacher, Nathaniel Sinckler. When he was applying to Morehouse, he remembered, he “felt pressured to write about something I could oversell.” He knew enough to write about hardships he had faced, he said, but although “I didn’t have enough, I didn’t go without.”

This made him feel that he was at a disadvantage because he was competing with kids on the same academic level who had faced even more adversity. So the question on his mind, for a long time, was “How can I oversell myself?” He explained that this was an experience not talked about enough: students of color trying to become poster children for trauma and pain. The focus becomes no longer who you are as a person but rather “are my challenges enough,” as Mr. Sinckler said, “and will this give me value?”

Mr. Sinckler asked me, “Who are you?” He urged me to question what actually makes up my identity, because while struggles are important, they’re not my only contribution. He felt that students of color glorifying their hardships is selling trauma with scholarship “dollar signs behind it.”

I also spoke to a friend about her application to N.Y.U. She wrote about experiencing homelessness at one point in her life. I asked how she felt as she wrote about that, and she said that it was “difficult to write, rather forced — and I had an interesting experience rereading it when I graduated, because I had sort of programmed myself to think of myself as less-than, as inferior.” Her application described her poverty, her living briefly in a shelter, as well as her dad not being present in her life. I asked why she wrote about her hardships, and she said, “Because I had to get into school and advisers emphasized, like, sell your pain.”

“It was a flex,” she said, to go to a prestigious school like N.Y.U. “But I didn’t feel like I should have been there.” She had the grades, she had the credentials, but she lacked self-esteem, partly because she forced herself to write about moments in her life she wasn’t proud of. So for the longest time she felt her N.Y.U. acceptance was undeserved. She would stay under the radar in classes, instead of making her presence known. Her essay had become an internalized mind-set.

I spoke to one of my younger brother’s teachers, Aaron Jones, who also attended Morehouse, and he said, “Teachers promoted it” — the personal statement about hardships. But he wanted to show the admissions officers what he was capable of and decided that if he wrote about his neighborhood in Annapolis, Md., “it would put me in a box.”

This box was the clichéd story of a Black kid in America. Mr. Jones said that if he had wanted to go to a P.W.I. — a predominantly white institution — then a sob story would have been more important, but since he wanted to go to a historically Black institution, he could showcase his abilities. He emphasized that students of color have more to offer than the cliché. He said, “The sob story can be truth, but it’s not all said all.” He argued that college is the gateway to experiencing a fresh start and that bringing old baggage with you only limits your growth. He ended up writing about a teacher who had mentored him since the fifth grade.

Mr. Sinckler, my friend who went to N.Y.U., Mr. Jones and I had gone to different high schools, and we had all been given the same message. But it wasn’t just the advisers; I was hearing it from family and neighbors. Everyone around me seemed to know this was what colleges were looking for, to the point where it didn’t even have to be spoken. I felt like the college system was forcing us to embody something that was less than what we are. Were colleges just looking for a check on a checklist? Were they looking for a slap on the back for saving us from our circumstances?

As I kept rewriting my personal statement, it kept sounding clichéd. It was my authentic experience, but I felt that trauma overwhelmed my drafts. I didn’t want to be a victim anymore. I didn’t want to promote that narrative. I wanted college to be a new beginning for me. At the time, my mom, a part-time health aide, was taking care of a patient who used a wheelchair. My mom was sometimes unable to pick him up at the bus stop, as she was just getting off her second job, so I took on that responsibility.

I would wait for her patient at the bus stop; I would make sure he ate, and I would play music for him until my mom got home. I also wrote about my relationship with my middle school janitor. I used both of these stories to show the importance of diversity and the value of respecting everyone regardless of physical ability, status or class. After writing this, there weren’t any feelings of regret. I felt free.

Trauma is one of life’s teachers. We are molded by it, and some will choose to write about it urgently, passionately. Yet I would encourage those who feel like their stories were written in tragedy to rethink that, as I did. When you open your mind to all the other things you can offer in life, it becomes liberating. Let’s show college admissions officers what they’re missing out on, not what they already know.

Elijah Megginson is a graduating senior at Uncommon Charter High School in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, who is still choosing between several colleges for the fall.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram .

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Coping with Illness
Pain Management

Hand Hurting While Writing? We’ve Got You Covered

Last Updated: May 2, 2024 Fact Checked

Practicing Good Writing Technique

Taking regular breaks, stretching your hands, exploring medical options, sample stretches and exercises, expert q&a.

This article was medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS and by wikiHow staff writer, Savannah Vold . Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006. There are 26 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 969,583 times.

Have you ever written a long essay only to end up with a cramped, aching hand? Ouch! This is called a "writer's cramp," and you might feel muscle spasms, tightness in the fingers while writing, and weakness in the hands or fingers. And typically, your writer's cramp is caused by improper grip, poor posture, excessive writing, or pressing too hard on the page. But here's the good news: there are tons of quick, effective fixes to ease your pain. Below, we’ll walk you through the best writing tips to soothe your aches and pains. Hello, happy hands!

Things You Should Know

Start using a comfortable writing utensil like a pen with a wide barrel and padded grip , or a pencil with 2B lead , as they require less pressure to flow across the page.
The most common, comfortable grip is to hold your writing device between your first and middle fingers while using your thumb to hold the pen or pencil in place.
Take breaks when your hand begins to tire. For example, set your pen down between thoughts to reduce cramping, flexing your hand occasionally.
Talk to your doctor if your hand pain doesn’t diminish despite altering your grip, using a more comfortable writing utensil, and regularly stretching your hands.

Make sure your pen of choice writes smoothly without skipping or dragging along the page.
Avoid buying pens that rattle or leave behind blotches of ink.
Light pens are easier to balance, making them ideal for writing for longer periods.
For pencils, try those with heavier lead grades, like 2B mechanical pencil lead , which allows for a lighter grip.

Hold the pen from the back about a quarter of the way down, leaving more space at the side of it with the writing tip.
Fountain pens are ideal for most writers, as they don't require a lot of pressure applied against the page.
Avoid ballpoint pens as their design requires you to apply more pressure against the page and are often made cheaply.

Step 3 Write slowly when you change your grip.

Cursive puts less stress on your hand than printing, as it requires less precision.
Don't get discouraged and switch to improper writing techniques, even if you're faster at them.

Step 4 Press the pen gently against the page.

Try a gel or rollerball pen . Gel and liquid inks have a smoother flow, which helps to minimize clenching and makes for an overall better writing experience. Healthy, happy hands for the win!

Step 5 Write with your arm, not your fingers.

Be sure to set your arm at a 90-degree angle on the surface you’re writing on.
The most common grip for arm writing is to hold your writing device between your first and middle fingers while using your thumb to hold the pen or pencil in place.
Another grip is to place your middle and index finger on top of your writing utensil while using your thumb to hold the pen or pencil in place.
Calligraphers (very practiced writers) hold their writing instruments with their thumb and forefinger, resting the pen gently on top of their forefingers' knuckle.

Step 6 Look at your hand position and evaluate it.

Hold your wrist straight and don't turn or bend it as you write.
Move the desk, chair, and paper until you are comfortable.
Ensure that your wrist, arm, and elbow are all supported by your desk or chair.

For longer writing sessions, vary your posture. Lean one way and the other in your chair, and try to lean back every now and then to ease the stress on your spine.
Always make sure you're breathing properly —slouching can lead to reduced oxygen levels, as the position causes you to breathe from the top of your lungs instead of the bottom, which isn't as effective. [8] X Research source

Consider taking a short walk outside if you have the time. It’ll improve your hand pain and your mental health! [10] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source

Step 2 Set down the pen any time you're not writing.

Take the time to do some quick hand and finger exercises, such as a full finger bend. Place your elbow at a 90-degree angle on a solid surface and keep your hand straight up and down as if you were raising it—then bend all your fingers up and down. [11] X Research source

If you have a lot to write, try writing in several smaller sessions rather than one long one.

Step 4 Engage in a different activity the next day.

Decreasing stress by getting outside or even walking around your room or office is especially important for creative writing and preventing writer's block.

Step 1 Lift your wrist as high as it will go with your fingers raised.

Do this exercise on each hand about 5-10 times.

Step 2 Perform hand/finger tendon glides regularly.

Do this exercise 5-10 times on each hand to stretch your muscles and help relieve pain.

Regularly exercising your writing hand is critical to prevent cramps.

Step 4 Reach out a hand with your fingers facing up and palm forward.

Remember to do this exercise on both hands, holding the position for around 15 seconds.

Step 5 Extend one of your hands before you and point your fingers down.

A variation of this exercise is to hold your palm facing away from you and your fingers pointed upwards. Gently press your fingers toward you.

Squeeze your stress ball for 10-15 second in each hand. Repeat this process whenever you feel your hand cramping throughout the day to help ease pain and relax your muscles.

Step 7 Interlace each of your fingers and stretch outward.

Hold this position for around 10 to 15 seconds.
This exercise stretches your fingers, hands, and forearms and improves circulation!

Step 1 Talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing frequent pain.

Some solutions include a workspace more suited to your size or work habits (e.g., a chair and table of a more suitable height, a slanted or elevated work surface), a different selection of writing implements, and a different means of writing (such as dictation or typing instead of writing longhand).
Doctors can also refer you to an expert for an ergonomic evaluation and suggestions about your workspace and work habits.

Create a homemade splint using 2 straight, narrow objects (like two pieces of cardboard) by taping one to the top of your finger and one to the bottom.
If your fingers are tingling or numb, seek medical attention. These are signs of insufficient oxygen and blood flow to the injured area.

Wear your splint for 2 to 3 weeks at nighttime. Symptoms are typically the worst at night because your hand bends more when sleeping.
While splints don't always, they’re worth trying as they don't have side effects like medication-based treatments.

Step 4 Purchase nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

NSAIDs are not effective for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Using NSAIDs for long-term pain treatment has been linked to stomach bleeding, ulcers, and increased risk of heart attacks.
Anti-cholinergic drugs like Artane and Cogentin are more suitable for writer's cramp (or hand dystonia). [25] X Research source

Step 5 Ask your doctor about corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation.

Steroid injections are typically used to treat tendonitis, arthritis trigger fingers, carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, and rotator cuff tendonitis.
Side effects of corticosteroid injections include a "flare," which is pain felt 1 or 2 days following the injection, increased blood sugar, skin thinning, skin lightening, tendon weakening, and in rare cases, allergic reactions.

Step 6 Consider laser therapy or surgery for inflammation and pain reduction.

Laser therapy is a non-invasive option that reduces inflammation and pain by applying light-emitting diodes (electric current-conductor) to stimulate and promote enhanced cell function. Laser therapy is considered a good first step before an invasive procedure like surgery, especially for those suffering from neurological movement disorders like hand dystonia. [28] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Those suffering from extreme hand pain due to carpal tunnel, arthritis, etc., may be good candidates for hand and/or wrist surgery. There are a variety of surgeries, such as arthroplasty (replacement of bad joints with an artificial implant), that may significantly relieve acute or chronic hand pain by reducing inflammation and joint damage. [29] X Trustworthy Source Arthritis Foundation Main organization devoted to arthritis support and education Go to source

Try not to press hard on the paper you're writing on. It will make your hand hurt worse, won’t look good on paper, and is harder to erase. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 0
If your hand continues to ache, relax for about 5 minutes. This short break may be just enough to give your hand a rest. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0
Try using a different method instead of writing, such as typing. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 12

If your pain is severe or does not stop, ask a doctor to help you determine the proper preventative measures. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
Extended periods of writing can cause strain to the back, neck, arms, and eyes, especially if your workspace is arranged poorly. If you experience pain elsewhere when writing, don't ignore it. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0

Alleviate Pain Caused by Trigeminal Neuralgia

↑ https://youtu.be/Cm8cR4amxPA?t=40
↑ https://youtu.be/XRHxqfNSQ54?t=17
↑ https://youtu.be/pB9m4TxZ7oQ?t=260
↑ https://youtu.be/XBdUrmf4-oQ?t=119
↑ https://youtu.be/ZQbfGwZXGa0?t=182
↑ https://www.lamy.com/en/the-correct-way-to-hold-a-pen/
↑ https://www.nbcnews.com/health/body-odd/straighten-slouching-makes-you-sad-study-shows-flna1C6854908
↑ https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/wrist-pain
↑ https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/11/defeating-depression-naturally
↑ https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/muscle-bone-and-joints/exercises/exercises-for-wrist-hand-and-finger-problems
↑ https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/carpal-tunnel-syndrome
↑ https://youtu.be/At2X5l7ncLU?t=161
↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/5-exercises-to-improve-hand-mobility
↑ https://youtu.be/At2X5l7ncLU?t=162
↑ https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/UVM-Risk-Management-and-Safety/wrist_exercises.pdf
↑ https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/managing-pain/pain-relief-solutions/tips-to-ease-joint-pain
↑ https://www.csudh.edu/Assets/csudh-sites/rm-ehos/docs/environmental/Ergo/Neck_Arm_shoulder%20stretches.pdf
↑ https://askjan.org/articles/Sample-Language-for-Accommodation-Request-Letters.cfm
↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/top-5-ways-to-reduce-crippling-hand-pain
↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072780/
↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-topical-nsaids-could-be-a-safer-option-to-relieve-your-arthritis-pain/
↑ https://www.dystoniacanada.org/about-dystonia/focal-dystonias/writer%E2%80%99s-cramp
↑ http://www.assh.org/handcare/procedures-and-treatment/steroid-injection
↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/7082-arthritis-of-the-wrist-and-hand
↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3944593/
↑ https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/joint-surgery/preplanning/hand-surgery-for-arthritis

About This Article

Medical Disclaimer

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

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From karl marx to toga shortages: reddit’s funniest essay mistakes, why are admission essays so hard to write well common mistakes revealed on reddit.

Image: ascenglish.com

The challenge of penning the perfect college essay is one that plagues students across the globe. Like an intricate work of art, a great essay requires finesse, creativity, and, above all, authenticity. Yet, for many, the training and guidelines provided in their education system serve as obstacles rather than aids. The constant push to impress rather than express has led to a plentitude of common tropes, unoriginal themes, and essays that lack the unique voice of the writer. As a result, the vast majority of papers fail to stand out in the fiercely competitive admissions process. But the real conundrum isn’t just in recognizing that there’s something wrong with an essay; it’s understanding how to fix it. A recent Reddit post by a seasoned reviewer and consultant offers a window into why so many students struggle with their essays, where the pitfalls of clichéd topics and the lack of personal expression are only a few of those that each of us must be so familiar with.

Key takeaways:

Most initial attempts at writing an expressive essay are mediocre at best. Training in academic writing might even work against students, undermining their authentic voice and personality.
Many students are prone to writing about overused topics or trying to impress rather than express.
Essays often fail due to a lack of evidence to support claims or the use of generic statements.
Wasteful or unrelated introductions and clichéd or repetitive conclusions can weaken an otherwise strong essay.

The Widespread Struggle and Identifying the Problem

The essay dilemma is not an isolated issue but rather a widespread concern. The anxiety around writing a compelling and personal college admission essay resonates with countless students. The author of the post highlights the core of the problem:

“Essays are art, not science or math. Most students feel the same way when they are suddenly asked to write expressively about themselves for the first time. Your English class probably failed you miserably.”

Indeed, traditional English classes often fail to prepare students for this type of expressive writing, forcing them to stay within the boundaries of “standards.” It makes so many students fall into the same traps over and over again when they’re trying to be overly impressive, pitying, or unique, often leading to insincere or artificial essays that lack everything but predictability.

“Don’t try to spin a sob story – they aren’t going to admit you out of pity. Don’t try to blow them away with how smart you are – they already see your grades and test scores. Don’t try too hard to be unique – you’ll just look weird.”

It’s not just a matter of mere dissatisfaction; the bad essay problem has measurable implications. As the college admissions process becomes more competitive, particularly in top-tier colleges with single-digit admit rates, the essay’s role becomes even more significant. With an estimated one to five truly outstanding essays out of every hundred, the stakes are high. Research by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) found that in 2019, 23% of colleges attributed “considerable importance” to the essay in admission decisions.

The problem is compounded by the fact that students are often trained in a way that undermines their authentic voice. The issue doesn’t just lie in the inability to write well; it stems from the complex challenge of introspection, understanding oneself, and articulating that understanding compellingly and genuinely.

This discussion illuminates the more significant issue: What should students look at to start thinking outside the box and boost their chances to stand out among thousands of similar faceless papers?

Identifying Common Mistakes in College Essays

Drawing from their rich background as a reviewer and academic consultant, the post’s author asserts that they have long recognized the recurring issues often found in student essays. They offer advice to the Reddit community on how to prevent or address these problems.

Overused Topics

Many students fall into the trap of choosing common or overused topics for their essays. These may include writing about sports, video games, or life-changing trips. However, these subjects are often difficult to execute well and end up lacking originality or insight. The key to success is personalizing the essay, zooming in on a specific experience or relationship, and writing about common topics in uncommon ways.

“Don’t write about the sport you played, the championship you won/lost, or the injury you sustained and how that taught you the value of teamwork and perseverance. Make it more meaningful by writing about a common topic in an uncommon way. Go back to your list of personal qualities you want to showcase, identify a core value that does not easily relate to your common topic, then find a way to make it fit.”

Lack of Personal Expression

The lack of personal expression in admissions essays is a problem that occurs in several ways. Many students write what they think the admissions committee wants to hear, leading to insincere and impersonal statements. Overly formal language can rob the essay of personality, making it sound robotic and detached. Failing to share personal insights and reflections results in a superficial recounting of events without revealing character or values, while hiding behind accomplishments without context can make the essay feel like a mere list of accolades. Some essays even drift from the prompt, disconnecting the narrative from the question asked.

Why Are Admission Essays So Hard To Write Well? Common Mistakes Revealed on Reddit

To overcome these issues, students must focus on authenticity, using a conversational tone that reflects their genuine voice. By going beyond mere narration to share personal insights and reflections and by explaining the importance of their achievements, students should create a compelling narrative that answers the prompt and reveals their unique character.

“Trim the sections of your essay that don’t say much about you. Add more in the sections where you’re really diving into your core values, personal strengths, motivations, etc. Make a list of what you want the reviewer to know about you. Then, brainstorm some examples, anecdotes, relationships, conversations, etc. that will showcase these things.”

This multifaceted approach to personal expression allows students to connect with their true selves and articulate their experiences in a way that stands out in the competitive college admissions process.

Unsupported Claims

In their desire to impress, students often make claims or grand statements about themselves, their beliefs, or their experiences without providing evidence or context to support these assertions. This lack of substantiation can lead to a hollow or insincere essay. Moreover, the failure to approach their subject with subtlety and nuance can result in an overblown or melodramatic tone that undermines the authenticity of the narrative. Rather than engaging the reader with a thoughtful exploration of ideas, these essays often resort to clichés and platitudes that feel forced and inauthentic. To address this problem, students must learn to ground their claims in specific examples, experiences, or reflections that provide concrete evidence for their statements.

“You can’t just say “I’m a creative problem solver” any more than a random redditor can just say “I know a lot about admissions essays.” No one will believe you unless you show that or support it with an example, anecdote, etc. Look for statements you’ve made that are more “telling” than “showing”. Sometimes these can indicate that you aren’t being convincing.”

By approaching their subject with more subtlety and nuance, weaving in personal insights and observations rather than relying on broad generalizations, they can create a richer and more engaging narrative. This careful crafting of claims, supported by evidence and delivered with subtlety, can transform an otherwise lackluster essay into a persuasive and authentic reflection of the student’s character and values, significantly enhancing its impact on the admissions process.

Ineffective Introductions and Conclusions

These elements of admission essays serve as significant stumbling blocks for many students. The introduction and conclusion of a paper are vital components that frame the entire narrative, and when executed poorly, they can overshadow the content in between. Ineffective introductions often fall into the trap of being overly general, vague, or clichéd, failing to grab the reader’s attention or provide a clear roadmap for what’s to follow. They might lack a hook that draws the reader in or provide a thesis statement that is too broad or lacking in focus. On the other hand, weak conclusions may abruptly end the essay without summarizing the main points or leave the reader hanging without a sense of closure or resolution. Such shortcomings in the introductory and concluding sections can leave an impression of disjointedness or lack of cohesion, detracting from the overall impact of the essay. To overcome this challenge, students must carefully craft engaging and insightful introductions that clearly outline the purpose and direction of the article. A unique anecdote, question, or statement can help hook the reader, while a well-articulated thesis can guide them through the paper.

“Some of the most common essay advice I give is to just scrap the entire introduction. The reason for this is that the good stuff so often starts right after. If this is you, go ahead and scrap your introduction. If you have a reference or something in there that is needed later, find a way to work it into your new and improved intro.”

Likewise, conclusions should not be an afterthought but should tie together the essay’s main points, reflect on what has been learned, and leave the reader with something to ponder. By investing time in creating powerful introductions and conclusions, students can frame their essays to enhance their overall narrative, leaving a lasting impression on admissions officers.

Crafting a standout college admission essay can be challenging, but understanding common pitfalls and ways to avoid them makes the task more manageable. By focusing on unique subjects, genuine personal expression, solid evidence, and well-crafted introductions and conclusions, students can create compelling essays that resonate with admissions officers. With careful attention to these key areas, the daunting task of writing the perfect essay becomes an achievable goal, opening the doors to academic success.

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Thinking Through Our Fingers

Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers. – isaac asimov, why is writing so painful.

Well, I missed my deadline, but here is my wisdom for the week, none-the-less…

Douglas Adams said, “Writing is easy. You only need to stare at a piece of blank paper until your forehead bleeds. “

I think most of us, whether we want to be professional writers or not, have experienced this kind of pain… sans blood but perhaps with a good headache at least. I wonder if this is why students often “hate” English classes and so many papers and other assignments aren’t written until the twelfth hour. Actually, I don’t wonder. This is not a phenomenon of high school students or new college freshmen alone.

It reaches into the worlds of English majors, graduate students of every discipline, including English, professional writers, English professors, and all professions. I can tell which friends should be working on their theses or dissertations by how often they are on Facebook on a given day.

Why is this? I personally can get up in front of a group of people and speak with relative ease (I realize this is not the norm) and without losing my audience. My inflections and even the mood of the room- the palpable interaction (even when indirect) between me and an audience- helps me express myself. I can trip a bit on my words and be forgiven, for a live audience filters out such things and soon forgets them. But, the written word is forever, if we can avoid a rage that motivates us to rip our work into tiny pieces and then set them on fire.

We are judged by what we write, not just once but perhaps many times, as readers can go back and reread and rejudge what we’ve said, based on their interpretation of the words; there is no inflection, no facial expression, no “Ok, I can see by your faces that I wasn’t clear. Let me clarify.” And, again, it is permanent, or as Jen on The Dark Crystal describes writing, it is “words that stay”.

I think the idea that something that we write will “stay” can be paralyzing. It makes many of us feel the weight of what we write (as it should). We know that we will be influencing others, and we know that we will be critiqued. It is one thing to have a friend critique our work but what about millions (if we’re lucky) of strangers?! People who don’t know us and will be brutally honest?

Besides that, there are millions of ways to express ourselves with language. It can be tiring getting it just right. At the same time, it is vital we do. So we wrestle with the words until we’re exhausted, not able to move enough to even roll off the mat. But, we could look at writing just a little differently: what if instead of seeing it as a wrestle, we looked at it as a dance? Then we would feel less like we are fighting the words and more like we are working with them and them with us. Something to ponder.

5 thoughts on “ Why is Writing So Painful? ”

But I suck at dancing so I don't think that would help.

I like the idea of writing as a dance–even if it *feel* more like wrestling to me! 🙂

I love this. I have been wrestling with a scene for a while, just hoping that if I sweat and bleed over it enough, when the readers get to it, it will feel like a dance. My mom used to say all the time, when she was brushing my hair, it hurts to be beautiful. Well, I guess that's the case with writing too.

For me, it's getting started writing that's the hardest part. I dread opening up the file and not knowing what to do. Once I get going, however, I usually enjoy myself. 🙂

i think he or she just mean to look on the good side

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COMMENTS

Why is writing such an inherently painful and hard process for ...
Once you've been writing for a while, you just get used to the difficulty - it's still hard, but you develop better strategies for dealing with it. I think it's inherent to the process of writing. You're using whatever words you want to use to describe scenes that never happened and that only exist inside your head.
Does anyone else feel they just can't write an essay?
Yes, this takes more time than being able to write a perfectly cohesive essay right off the bat - but that level of writing is a skill you build up to. Don't aim for perfection on your first round, that may just lead to a mental block. Just get thoughts onto paper, then go back and make it sound good.
anyone else painfully slow at writing essays : r/ApplyingToCollege
It sounds like your post is related to essays — please check the A2C Wiki Page on Essays for a list of resources related to essay topics, tips & tricks, and editing advice. Please be cautious of possible plagiarism if you do decide to share your essay with other users. tl;dr: A2C Essay Wiki. I am a bot, and this action was performed ...
Grading essays is painful for two reasons: (1) it's eye ...
Too many turn in writing assignments without regard for what is clearly required. We have specifics on the syllabus that get covered and students still do not follow instruction in their writing.. I can't look forward to the reading because I have to deal with the numerous errors which detract from the content. I feel your pain.
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Let me clarify.". And, again, it is permanent, or as Jen on The Dark Crystal describes writing, it is "words that stay". "What was sundered and undone, shall be whole- the two made one." (But I digress.) I think the idea that something that we write will "stay" can be paralyzing. It makes many of us feel the weight of what we ...
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