The Lows of Writing
Hello dear readers. Today, I want to talk about the highs and lows of writing, and by this I mean mostly the lows. As you can imagine, the highs of writing are amazing. You feel excited, engaged, you’re cranking out words, the story is flowing, you write some beautiful prose, life is good.
On the flip side, the lows can feel crippling and debilitating. There are days when you feel extra miserable. Nothing comes out right, you struggle to type coherent sentences, your characters don’t want to talk to you or co-operate, you wonder if your story is any good or even worth telling at all.
I struggle a lot when it comes to navigating the lows of my endeavor. I don’t say this to garner sympathy, or pity, but simply to let you know if this is something that you, also, struggle with, you’re not alone. To be frank, self-confidence is something I’ve struggled with throughout my entire life, which makes dealing with these feelings even more onerous. I suspect most creatives can relate. Right now, I’m in the middle of working through my second draft of my very first completed manuscript. As I continue to go through the feedback provided from my writing mentors, it’s exceedingly difficult not to feel discouraged or defeated.
The closest thing I can liken it to is that scene from “The Never Ending Story” where Atreyu and Artax get stuck in the Swamp of Sadness. It feels messy, and heavy, and hopeless, and insurmountable. Even though I have been assured, many times over, that this is par for the course. There are many, many, many times when I feel like I should just give up. I would be lying if I said I didn’t struggle on a weekly basis with feeling like I can actually finish my book, do a decent job on it, and that it will be worth reading when all is said and done. (Fortunately, I’m rather stubborn, and I have a tendency to see things through just to spite the little voice in my head that tells me I’m afraid or I can’t do it.) However, that doesn’t make navigating those lows any easier most of the time.
Ultimately, my goal was not to have this post turn into a pity-party, or a pep-talk. My goal was to let you know that if this is something you struggle with, you’re not alone and it’s ok. In my opinion it’s important to acknowledge your feelings and emotions, both good and bad. It’s ok to sit with them for a little while. Just don’t allow yourself to spiral out of control into the dark abyss that is depression. (If you ever feel like you are, please ask for help or talk to a counselor/professional.) Sometimes writing sucks, a lot. And the process makes you feel awful. And that’s ok. Running a marathon also makes you feel awful at certain points and I know plenty of people who still do run them. Most things in life that are worth doing are hard. Stick with it. Feel the feels. Take care of yourself along the way. And persevere.
Till next time dear readers. <3
