The Hardest Thing
What do you find hardest about writing? I’m just curious. People alternately either spout about what an easy job it is, or they over-inflate the angst and struggle.
For me, the hardest thing is keeping my brain in optimum working order. To write, the brain must be able to think. If I’m in that morning wake-up fuzz, it’s easy to focus, but if I’m too sleepy, I just want to fall asleep.
Making sure I can write necessitates that I keep my asthma under control. Lack of oxygen makes me fall asleep, not write. LOL. Which means I have to eat right, avoid dairy, not go to the bookstore too much (but go to the bookstore enough to be inspired and research), and exercise—but not too much.
I have to take one coffee pill, but not two, unless spaced out by five or six hours. I have to keep up on my fish oil, or else my ADD becomes completely unmanageable.
I can push through most physical challenges, but I haven’t yet found a way to push through the thinking challenges. Either my brain’s working or it’s not. If desperate, I can take one of those five-hour energy shot things, but I pay for it later. (Those are great for deadline pushes, though.)
So as I was sitting her being all self-pitying about this darned flu, I was contemplating what I was going to eat tonight so that I could get a lot of words done tomorrow. And then I wondered if other people find this aspect of writing as difficult as I do.
Do you? What is the hardest thing about writing for you? How far do you go in planning your life around writing?
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Natasha Fondren is a writer traveling the U.S. in a camper with her four cats. She is currently enjoying the lizards and desert heat in Arizona.
The hardest thing for me is just opening the document and getting started. I tend to be very good at procrastination.
That is a tough one, Nadine! I tend to hibernate my computer and leave my document open. I’m sure I developed that habit because of procrastination, LOL!
I didn’t know you had the flu. I hope you’re better soon.
I’m not sure what’s the hardest thing. I did a synopsis recently, and that was hell. Usually they aren’t that bad, though I never love them.
Awww! I’m sorry, Edie! I’m glad you’re done!
The hardest thing about writing for me is making a living at it. I can’t seem to get past the query process. Very discouraging.
I struggle, too. I make half of a living, but…
I hope you get there, soon!
Working two jobs. You have to write like it was a full time job if you want to compete with full time writers, but you have to keep the day job if you have responsibilities.
David, this is SO true. It was absolutely exhausting when I was doing that.
In the same vein, though… I find I don’t get all that much more done with one job, and my one job seems to slow out to the same twelve-fourteen hour day. That’s probably my bad. I DO read a TON more, and that’s a good thing, I think. So not total laziness, LOL…
The hardest thing for me is my brain chemistry. :/ I’m bipolar (actual diagnosis, not self-determined from some internet checklist or whatever, and doesn’t it suck that people like me have to say that now?) and depending on whether I’m up or down or blah — and if I’m up, what kind of up it is — I might be able to zip along with a writing project, or just sort of plod like everyone else, or not work at all. Or sometimes, when my thoughts are racing and won’t stop, I feel like working on six things at once, although of course that never works. [cough] And the brain chemistry interacts with all the usual writing issues — if I’m stuck on something, or I’ve gone down a blind alley, or I’m 2/3 of the way through and discover a huge pacing glitch, or whatever. It all goes into the pot. I have techniques for dealing with most of the normal speedbumps, but if my brain doesn’t want to cooperate, there’s not a lot I can do. Although I usually don’t know that it’s my brain chemistry until after the episode.
Angie
I had a boyfriend with that, Angie, and man… I would kill for that killer up when you can get a ton done all at once, LOL! (Wouldn’t pay for it with the downs, though.)
That sucks. That’s where I struggle most, too. I mean, my brain, not bipolar.
Oh, yeah, when it’s all working right it’s awesome.
My personal touchstone is October of ’08; in the last two weeks I wrote about 40K words, and they were good words, too. I’ve never done it before or since. If I could turn that on all the time…. :/
Angie
I’m the same as Nadine.
I hope you’re feeling better.
Awww! I always have it open, but clicking over to it can be quite a monumental task, at times! LOL!
Nadine and I were separated at birth. I have a devil of a time opening documents. Just the thought of looking at yesterday’s writing makes me want to barf. Many say it’s best to continue without reviewing, but I usually forget where I left off, so the vicious cycle commences. Sometimes, though, the work is damn good, so much so that it silences evil-inner-critic.
Hope you are feeling better! Sucks having the flu.
Kath, I have the SAME problem! I need to read through what I’ve written, but reading through what I’ve written over and over and over every day makes me hate it!
Writing several stories at once helps, but not entirely. Sometimes reading it before I go to bed helps, then I don’t have to review it in the morning and get discouraged before I start.
The hardest thing is getting people to pay me a living wage to do it, especially fiction.
Otherwise I would say the hardest thing is dealing with distractions like bogs and facebook and RSS feeds and…
Mark, I should probably put that at the top of the list, LOL. It doesn’t feel as hard as focusing, though.
As far as my smallish amount of fiction writing goes you describe my main problem exactly when you say:
“I can push through most physical challenges, but I haven’t yet found a way to push through the thinking challenges. Either my brain’s working or it’s not.”
Now when it comes to non-creative writing like doing a legal encyclopedia article I can be exhausted, disgruntled, woozy, depressed, worried, nervous, dizzy, (and I often am!) and I can still manage to force yourself to get some work done. But creative work is so much harder. I can’t make stuff up when my brain isn’t woring properly. Never have figured that out.
You’re so right about creative work! Although, for me, non-fiction is a beast. That’s so hard for me, I don’t know where to start!
Of course, technically, I was doing creative non-fiction, so… maybe that’s the problem!
Some days it’s getting the fuzzy wool out of my head, some days it’s marshalling the will to plonk butt in chair and go at it. Headphones and loud music are pretty helpful in the latter case. Probably I’m increasing my hearing loss dramatically, but it does help me focus…unless I’ve had waaaay too much coffee.
LOL, Written! I’m currently trying to get the optimum dose of caffeine, LOL! And just the right music/white noise!
Seems like a lot of us have the same problem–opening the document. I’m in that pool, definitely.
Also, the making a living at it, and maintaining the belief I’m actually decent enough to do it, despite the ever-growing piles of return mail “evidence” to the contrary.
Avery, that’s simple! Just keep the document open forever, LOL. (Then you get really good at ignoring it…
Making a living at it is hard.
I’ve been sick for a week now and I finally had to admit that I wasn’t in a creative frame right now. I pushed through it for awhile, but I had to let it go. So instead, I put my time to reading and research and catching up on TV shows, which I rarely watch. I’ve read 2 1/2 books in the past week, countless articles online, a Rolling Stone, and discovered a new show that I love called Supernatural.
So in the end, it’s all good. Feel better soon!!
Are you feeling better, Betsy? I didn’t realize I hadn’t responded to my comments, so hopefully you’re feeling better now.
2 1/2 books! That’s awesome!
I think that’s a really hard thing about writing. If you’re sick and foggy, there’s just no way to do it. I also find I have to be in a good mood. I can’t be cranky, or I can’t write the way I want to. The movie I’m working on is supposed to be funny, so it requires a good humored approach. Maybe I should write a movie about a whiny little lady who bitches about everything.
I hope you’re feeling better, soon!
Maybe you could do the female version of Grumpy Old Men.
Angie
Robin, yeah, the foggy bit is the tough one. If I have a fever, I don’t mind so much, but the fog is sure a killer.
I manipulate myself into the right mood with music, sometimes. Fleet Foxes make me happy! Or Christmas music. (I’m all about the secular Christmas, LOL!) Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York has been a good one, lately, LOL!
uh? what’s this WRITING alla youse guyz ramble on about? :O lol
LOL, Laughingwolf!!!
Natasha, the hardest thing for me used to be digging in to write a section that I was scared of. But now I have chat friends (co workers, I call them) who make me write. So, now I would say dealing with the fuzzies on a revision. You know, when you’re not quite sure what to do to fix a part. Those fuzzies. I was going to say revision. Revision is the toughest thing.
(But it seemed to broad and too depressing to say that!)
I love those kind of chat friends, Heather! That’s how I get through my writing day.
the hardest thing about school writing is those damned introductory paragraphs. Pain in my whatsit, you know? You have to sound smart right out of the box. I usually write those last, and still, they usually suck.
the hardest thing for me about ‘creative’ writing (you know, writing I actually want to do) is doubt.
How much longer do you have in school, Elizabeth? I hated those, too! I had the same problem with my essay above!
Fish oil for ADD? Maybe I should try that. Life interferes with my writing and not the time issue of life but the emotional stuff. Like when my kids have problems and I’m trying to help. That pushs everything out of my head.
Lately writing is hard. It’s like there’s this weight on my shoulders that I can’t push off.
I’m still counting on that Saturn leaving Virgo thing in July to ease the pain.
Oh man, Aimless. When I used to teach, I’d be up NIGHTS, worrying and plotting for the kids and teaching them. I’m so glad my life is a little simpler now.
That’s hard! Good luck, Aimless. I’m hoping it eases for you!
Wrestling my laptop from the ten year old. Darn kid likes to do her facebooking on my laptop. The good news is that I generally get up early in the morning to do my writing … when I’m able to haul my butt outta bed. The laptop is mine at that time of the morning.
Hmmm… Liz, mine might be wrestling my laptop from Facebook, LOL! I need to do more early morning writing, I really do.
Life and work so often get in the way of writing. That and inertia. Oh, and sometimes lack of clever thoughts. And the shifting of the Earth’s plates.
Lack of clever thoughts is always a tough one!
Once again I’m late with my comment.
My biggest block in writing is the feeling of, “What’s the point? Nobody but me will ever read it. So who cares?”
When one has no longer has hope of being published these are the thoughts that get in the way of writing.
Bevie, there is no “late!”
What about self-publishing, Bevie? Or sharing a serial story on your blog?