Why It’s So Hard To Write And What You Can Do About It

Can you recall the first time you were hit with the writing bug?

For me, it was after discovering the fantasy genre. The limitless potential of a world much more mysterious than our own was so alluring, that I just had to try and create one of my own.

But soon after attempting to write my first book, I realized that for some unexplainable reason, I just can’t seem to be able to. And I know I’m not alone in this.

Many aspiring writers find that writing, despite our passion for it, is a difficult hobby to have, and a book often feels like an impossible project to finish.

I think of it as the writing paradox: we want to write, desperately, but when it’s time to actually sit down and do it, we have to force ourselves. We need to build the consistency muscle. We need to figure out what it is we even want to write.

But while most writers can’t quite put the finger on the thing preventing them from completing their novel, I find that most failures to write come down to one of 3 reasons:

• Running out of inspiration

• Planning options paralysis

• Self doubt

But if we can name the problem, we can solve it. Let’s dive in.

Too Little Inspiration

Writing often starts with a single scene, or an idea, like a dragon who wants to become an accountant. The problem is that we have no idea what happens beyond that.

This is where the creative spark, which feels light and ethereal, comes face to face with the not-so-light questions that pull it back down to the ground.

Having an idea is easy. But coming up with a whole story is hard. And while you can write a single scene on a whim, trying to write an entire novel without any planning whatsoever is a different beast entirely. Eventually, many writers hit a point where they need to stop, think, and map things out—one way or another.

The solution to not having a plan, thought, is simple—make a plan.

The most useful way to plan (or plot, but less detailed), I find, is this:

• Start at a high level (like defining what the book is about)

• Plan one chapter at a time

• Don’t bother with details until you’re actually writing the scene

This sort of planning is flexible, and provides you with structure without getting lost in the weeds.

Too Much Planning

If the first problem had to do with not enough planning, the other major reason writers find it so hard to finish writing a manuscript is too much planning.

Planning involves considering options, and options create additional options, and can quickly lead to options paralysis.

Option paralysis can be contained to a single story, or lead you to new narratives to explore while you’re still trying to reach that elusive “the end” of your first draft.

But the solution to the option paralysis is simple: idea log.

Building on top of my approach to planning, the idea log is meant to keep you focused on the scene or the chapter you’re currently writing, while capturing stray ideas for potential future use.

When trying to decide if an idea belongs in the idea log, consider if this new idea:

• Drives the plot forward?

• Crucial to the scene or chapter you’re currently writing?

• Belongs entirely in a separate book?

An idea log can help calm an overactive mind by assuring it that the shiny new idea will be reviewed later, while allowing you to focus on the work at hand. Because if you keep chasing each new idea the moment it pops into your mind, your manuscript will never get written.

Just the Right Amount of Doubt

The above reasons for why writers can’t finish books have to do with our working style and approach to writing. However, there are reasons that have to do with mindset and not approach, and the primary among them is self doubt.

Self doubt can hit at any stage of the writing process: it can happen at the beginning, when you first decide to follow a new idea and spill it on the page, realizing the moment you attempt to do so that the idea that filled you with excitement just a moment ago suddenly feels stupid or plain dull.

It can also turn up later into the writing process, when you read through a chapter or a scene you very much enjoyed writing, only to realize that this same scene just doesn’t feel right.

The thing with self doubt is that it’s a problem that’s hard to solve structurally. It will always be there, and at times, it will help you identify the pieces of the story that need additional work.

So to fight the voice of doubt, you don’t really need to fight it at all, only ask it to save its opinions for later.

There are two main phases to working on a book:

• Writing it.

• Editing the hell out of it.

Editing is the time to listen to the voice of doubt—to scrutinize every scene, character, and course of events, and decide what truly works. But while you’re still writing the first draft, you can ask it to wait politely and quietly aside.

Final Thoughts

Writing can be challenging, and at times even impossible, no matter how much we want to.

But the reasons why so many writers fail to write a book can be grouped, analyzed, and eventually solved.

Whether it’s:

• Running out of inspiration

• Planning options paralysis

• Self doubt

There are steps you can take to solve the problem and start making progress.

But this article doesn’t include all reasons why writers can get stuck in the writing process, there are more, and I created a free tool to help you identify your type of stuck and offer a quick fix. You can find it here.