Six Obstacles to Writing

We encounter many obstacles to writing, some of which we can do nothing about (catching a cold, getting into a car accident, having to teach during our prime writing hours).  But there are other obstacles that we can do something about, and I'd like to reflect on some of those today.

These are internal obstacles - recurring thoughts that slow us down or even paralyze us.  They get in the way of writing.

It turns out that every writer experiences these obstacles.  Some of us might experience some of these more often than others.  But we all will experience each of these at some point.

The trouble is when we believe these thoughts to be true about us as authors.

So the antidote to these recurring thoughts?  Try experiencing these obstacles as part of the writing process.  They occur to every writer, they are not unique to you.  They are part of the structure, the texture of writing.  And they will pass eventually if you can acknowledge them and let them go.

Here are the six obstacles, along with some examples.  You may recognize yourself in these examples, or there might be different ways these obstacles show up for you.  Get to know which ones are most likely to get in the way of your writing, and get to know how they manifest in your life.  When they show up, you can name them for what they are, notice them, and then gently let them go.

1.  Anxiety:  This is when you do not believe you can write now. 

Examples:            

• I don’t have enough time today to write properly, so I won’t start now.
• My ideas aren't good enough, polished enough, ready.
• I am not inspired right now; I have to wait for my muse!

2.  Jealousy:  This is when you think other people can write, but you can’t.

Examples:           

• X can write because she doesn’t have to deal with kids/stress/etc.
• X has it so much easier than me, because of her background/mentoring/etc.
• Writing just comes naturally to X; I have to struggle to write!

3.  Forgetfulness:  This is when you are so busy that you forget to make time to write.

Examples:           

• I have all these urgent deadlines; I can’t write until after I am done with these.
• You get to the end of an exhausting day, and you realize you haven’t spent any time writing – but why start now?

4.      Arrogance:  This is when you turn your self-doubt into a justification for not writing.

Examples:           

• I don’t need to write now; I do my best writing at the last minute.
• I’m so clever, I don’t need to waste my time writing every day like others do.
• I’m an experienced writer, so I don’t need to practice writing anymore.

5.  Criticism:  This is when you blame people and things external to you to justify not writing.

Examples:           

• I can’t write because of those noisy people who keep distracting me from work!
• The real problem is this stupid deadline: who decided on this date anyway?
• It’s ridiculous that I have to write this abstract/personal statement/proposal!

 

6.      Body & Mind Out of Sync:  This is when you get so caught in your thinking and your doubts that you neglect your body.

Examples:           

• I have to pull an all-nighter in order to get this done; I don’t really need to sleep.
• I can’t afford to take a break – I have to keep writing, or else I will lose steam!
• I don’t have time to exercise/eat/go to the bathroom – being a good writer is all about self-sacrifice.

 

(I am indebted to my meditation teachers for these insights into my writing practice; these obstacles are loosely adapted from descriptions of obstacles to meditation in numerous Buddhist texts.)