How Hard It Is To Write?

I have always had an interest in writing. Before I created my first blog in 2013 and became more serious about it in 2016, I used to write about my thoughts, feelings, dreams, and everything that happened to me and all around me in my journal. I find that putting things into words is really comforting. As I grew older, I became more interested in becoming a writer and began to learn how to write better. So, is writing hard? My answer is, “It depends.” It is different for every person and for what you are writing. Since writing is a lot of hard and dedicated work, it is highly unusual for someone to say that writing is easy. Some people who may have been born with the skills might find it easy, while others must develop them with extensive practice.

As for myself, I’m not sure if I was aware of having the skill naturally, but I believe that I mostly learned and improved it through a lot of practice. I mean, have you seen any of my old posts? I felt embarrassed when I reread it again. Haha, I was like, “What was I writing about?” or “Why is my writing like this?” but it’s rewarding to see how much my writing has changed and improved.

If you have an interest in writing and maybe have considered starting a blog, I have some experiences and knowledge that I can share with you which I know will definitely be useful to those who are just getting started in writing. I don’t consider myself a great writer—though I’m trying to be one (hey, hope dies last!) but I like to think that I’m good at what I do.

Writing in general is hard.

One of the main reasons writing is hard is that it demands complete focus. No interruption. When it comes to writing, this is not an option. When you write, you need to truly focus on it. If you can’t focus, you better take a break and do something else and come back to your writing when you are ready.
It requires a tremendous amount of patience since it will take a lot of your time and effort; to write, edit, and revise.
It also takes discipline to learn to write and improve, discipline to observe the world (people) and how they react to others and their surroundings, and discipline to write down observations and turn them into interesting and coherent thoughts. If you allow laziness to sneak into your writing, your writing will suffer.
Writing requires words, words require a mood, and moods require thought and as humans, our moods change. It can have an impact on the amount of time and energy you commit to writing.
You need to argue with your mind in the same way that a mathematician would, you need the formula to finalize the words. You will also need to refer to dictionaries and thesauruses repeatedly and every time you modify a word or a sentence in your writing, you have to go back and reread it again which can be tiresome.

Writing is not for the faint of heart. Creating anything takes courage and optimism. Don’t get discouraged if you find the process to be challenging because everyone who writes can have a hard time from time to time. The important thing is to show up, sit down, and try. Just know that you don’t have to reach any milestones to become a writer. As soon as you start writing, you are one.

It takes courage to write.

Taking risks is hard, and being a writer is brave. Writing demands a lot of courage and vulnerability, especially when the topic is one of your own personal experiences, as virtually everything you write that you put on display will eventually be read by somebody else. Many people are not willing to make themselves vulnerable like this, which is why writing is so hard for them; but hard isn’t unworthy or unworkable. In many ways, writing is about becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. Yes, it can be nerve-racking to wait for people to give their opinion but don’t let criticism and potential haters get you down. If you write for yourself first, you’ll always have at least one fan.

Be comfortable with your words.

When I first started writing a blog, I didn’t tell many people in my life about it. It took me years before I felt comfortable enough to post the link on social media and share it with everyone. I was worried about what people might think of me (especially people I know) and that I would be judged on my thoughts and feelings that are exposed when I write something personal.

“What if someone I like decides they no longer wanna talk to me after reading my blog, realizing my weaknesses and flaws, or thinking that I’m too much?”

but I eventually stopped caring.

Writing is a product of me; it’s all of me, right up to this very moment—my life, my experiences, my limitations, my message, my thoughts, my feelings, and what I want out of life itself. Not gonna lie, I’ve always been scared to share my writing; I fear that I will be judged on my intelligence because of the technical aspects of my writing such as grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. but regardless of the reaction, I’m always glad I did. As an added bonus, each time I put myself out there, it becomes easier for me to do so again. I have no desire for or expectation of becoming well-known or remembered. I write so that my words can be shared, heard, and understood.

Everyone has their own writing style.

My writing style is quite straightforward, and I want it to be understandable to everyone—especially to those who don’t speak English on a daily basis. I usually use simple words, but it really depends on what I’m writing. I like for my writing to appear as if I’m having a casual conversation with my readers. I mean, we don’t even use formal language on a daily basis, right? So, why would I write in a proper way?

Travel experiences are my favorite topic to write about since it’s the most straightforward content I’ve ever written, while other topics require more time and effort. It typically doesn’t take long for me to finish my writing if I’m in a good mood and I’m writing about a topic I know a lot about. However, I find it challenging when I’m on the wrong topic, even if I do some research about it. Ultimately, all the words come together because of what is inside my head. So, I always make sure that the topic I wanna write about is one that I am highly familiar with.

Practice, practice, and practice.

Regular practice is the only way you can ever improve as a writer. Most importantly, make an effort to write in many styles. In this way, you can improve different writing skills, apply additional writing tips, and get better at expressing your ideas through the act of writing. Do it on a daily basis, even if you do not want to write. Take about 30 minutes every day to allow your fingers to flow so you can put words on the page. You can always go back and organize them afterward. It’s the same with any skill you pick up. It requires regular practice, whether it’s a musical instrument, games, or sports. Otherwise, your skills are going to rust. For instance, if you play a sport, you need to practice daily. If you spend a lot of time off, you can get out of shape and perform poorly whenever you return. The same applies to writing. Your writing will become rusty if you don’t write frequently. Then, you might fall behind when you’re ready to write again.

It can be exhausting.

You rely solely on your brain when you write, which can be exhausting. When you write, you create. You connect words that weren’t there before. It’s also hard sometimes to put into words exactly how you feel and what your brain is thinking. Those things are sort of abstract and more specific than words can describe. Certain words just feel more right than others, and there are so many. Even now I’m having a hard time writing to explain it. There are also times when I get so caught up in what I’m writing that I give it my all, and that leaves me feeling a bit drained.

Again, everyone is different. This is just my opinion. I believe the most important thing is to keep writing as often as you can; eventually, it will become routine and common to you, and it will become easier. Just don’t overdo it to the point where you start hating it and writing becomes difficult again.

Don’t rush to finish your writing.

I’ve been guilty of this in the past as well because of the deadline. My writing turned out to be crap and filled with errors. That taught me to never rush and to give my writing the time it requires to be completed. For instance, I drafted this post 3 days ago with the intention of publishing it yesterday, but I was unable to finish it due to my circumstances—tired from long hours of work, not in the mood, and unable to focus. I, therefore, take more days to finish this post. Writing does indeed require time. Don’t rush the process. It’s important to keep in mind that good things take time.

It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Try not to be too hard on yourself. The goal is to be a better writer. Good writing is important, but not in the way you might think. If you can make people feel things with your writing, it doesn’t matter if it’s technically perfect. If you expect everything to be perfect, you will spend endless hours agonizing over a single word choice. This is another reason why you need to practice regularly. You need to learn when to make changes and when to let them go. I, on the other hand, am the type of writer who obsesses over word choice. Every time I edit and proofread my writing, I read it again. I edit my writing a dozen times before I feel satisfied enough to publish it. Although I don’t aim for perfection, I do want to try my best to come up with something interesting for my readers to read.

Observe everything and write it down.

You have little control over when you write. Words and ideas can pop into your head at random moments. If you don’t write it down, you might forget about it later. So, if inspiration strikes, be prepared to pull out your phone and start to type into a notepad, anytime and anywhere. Since anything might inspire you to write, as a writer, it is important for you to pay attention to everything around you. To me, this is the most enjoyable aspect of writing—sometimes it only takes one simple word or action to inspire you to create a whole post.

It made me chuckle as I remembered how I used to jokingly warn people not to treat me poorly, or they would end up being in one of my writings for everyone to read. Haha. I guess I could say that I enjoy writing about feelings that a lot of people can relate to. The poetry I’ve read and the beautiful songs I’ve listened to have primarily inspired me to express my feelings more openly; they also inspire me to write better in a more creative and metaphorical way. So, yeah, anyone who has had an impact on my life—good or bad—will be in my writings at some point. 😊

X, Hani. ♥