Writing’s faults and virtues, like a friend’s, are known most deeply by the person closest to it—the writer. And, like a friend, the writer was probably first drawn to writing because of its enjoyable parts and because of the joy they felt while being with it. But when Friend Writing started being difficult and evasive, it became far easier for the writer to be conscious only of its faults and to forget the virtues that compelled them to love it in the first place. 

Tension then ensured, for deep inside the writer an intense desire still burned to get to know writing and to become its friend, despite the discordance that made those early feelings of affection disappear. 

So the writer kept chasing a relationship with writing, meeting with it almost everyday and trying valiantly to reach the quiet place of its heart where inspiration flowed and words strung together effortlessly. Once in a while, the writer was rewarded—writing transformed into the happy-go-lucky friend of the past, ready to play and have fun at a moment’s notice—and it was for these rare times that the writer pressed on, ever hoping to “crack the code” to peace and harmony with writing. 

Does this sound familiar?

the early days

When we first got acquainted with the exhilarating pursuit of writing—probably when we were young and just writing for fun—we tended to only be aware of all the ways it was fun and enjoyable, which was quite natural—a new friend does not usually strive to exhibit all their shortcomings. 

But then we started spending more time with writing, and it was inevitable that we should soon become aware of what made it a respected art rather than play. 

We found that the harder we tried to write well, the more difficult writing became. The more we wanted to write, the more responsibilities pirated our schedules. When we decided to learn about writing, we suddenly realized that the amount of information we didn’t know made what we did know look like a flea. When we took writing seriously, it was like we stepped into its ugly side unawares. Our intentions were good, but the results may have been more than we bargained for. 

But we’ve kept going, like the determined writers we are, working through overwhelm, making writing a priority in our schedules, and fighting the enemy of all writers, writer’s block. 

A new tactic for the ongoing battle 

Writer’s block is a common topic among writers and there are many solutions and strategies to getting back into flow. I’ve had writer’s block many times and have dealt with it multiple ways, but I thought of a new tactic recently that is perfect for when writing feels hard and you’d rather be doing something else. 

When you are experiencing writer’s block, it’s hard to think about how much you love writing because it feels hard! But what if thinking of the positive things about writing, the things that made you love it in the first place, was a way to alleviate the pressure and frustration of writer’s block? It’s much easier to do something when you’re not just thinking about how hard it is. 

Think about the romantic parts of writing, the aesthetic parts, the parts that allure you. Think about what a gift writing is and how amazing it is that by arranging twenty-six letters into different patterns, we have the power to change lives. Think about how beautiful it is to be sitting (or standing, like I am now) and writing while the rain drizzles out of the sky, or the sun drenches the world, or the clouds blanket the earth. 

Yes, this view may sound idealistic and impractical, and I’m not saying that life is always blue skies and daisies. But I personally would rather spend more time meditating on the positive than the negative. And in my experience, focusing on the negative does not make it go away and instead accentuates it. 

So while we accept that writing will not always be easy, let’s help ourselves through the rough spots by letting some light into the situation. 

I love what Leah Roper says in a blog post on Colleen M. Story’s blog, Writing and Wellness.com,

“Research has shown that when you focus on the positive, success is often mirrored back at you.The best part is you get to choose where you want to direct this energy. Ahem, even at writer’s block? Yep, even at writer’s block…..Easier said than done when they’re the occasional cause of sleepless nights and mental angst… True. But if you’re going to obsess over them, you might as well do it beneficially.”

Writing really is miraculous. We, as writers, create new worlds, people, and stories. We convey ideas and truths that God can use to change people’s lives. We weave sentences together to describe beauty, sadness, and power. 

It doesn’t always feel glamorous, in fact, most of the time it doesn’t, at least for me, but this is in fact what we are doing, even if we’re writing for ourselves. 

So you have writer’s block and writing feels hard, don’t forget that there’s a world you can dip into—the reality that what you are doing is miraculous. 

If you’re really feeling discouraged, you may feel like saying, “but writing junk isn’t miraculous!”. I can understand, but the truth is that the act of writing is miraculous and the quality of your words don’t take away from the beauty of the process. By writing, you are taking part in that process, regardless of how you view the result. 

Take heart, writers! Though the world of writing is regularly darkened by clouds of doubt, discouragement, and difficulty, there are holes in that gray sheet through which a beautiful and miraculous blue sky can be seen. You are doing something miraculous even when it doesn’t feel like it. You can once again find the enjoyable parts of writing, even if you’ve lost them. Writing really is a good friend, as long as you don’t forget that it has its virtues as well as its faults. 

And you, as writing’s closest friend, are the person most equipped to do that.