It’s Okay to Hate Writing Even If You’re a Writer

Just don’t forget the sparks of joy somewhere in the middle.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

The title sounds crazy, doesn’t it? “Hate writing? If I hated writing, I wouldn’t be doing it at all.”

While I understand the indignant response, hear me out: sometimes you, as a writer, will be faced with the blank page and wonder just what you’re doing with your time. Maybe you’ll have a heavy case of impostor syndrome and feel like every word — and every backspace — is just a setback in your writing history.

There are days where you’re going to hate writing. But how I see it — there’s writing and then there’s Writing (the more serious kind).

For instance, my favorite part of the writing process involves brainstorming and writing down ideas. I look at this as general procedure that makes up the beginning seams in the fabric of twining words into potential stories. This, to me, is writing.

However, when it gets to the actual grit of prose, I have trouble expanding the thoughts into greater expanses of meaning and purpose as far as plot go (when I’m tackling fiction). I dub this aspect the more challenging Writing (seriously this time). That process often feels to me like something out of a textbook I can barely understand because of its jargon. And, yes, it…