Some days, writing flows and you wonder why you ever thought writing is hard.

You’re in the zone. Your fingers can barely keep up with your thoughts. You feel like a writer because you are one.

Then there are the other days.

The ones where you open your laptop, stare at the blinking cursor, and suddenly forget how sentences work. You type. You delete. You question your life choices. You consider becoming a florist.

Let’s talk about those days. The hard writing days. The sticky, messy, self-doubt-riddled ones.

Because here’s the thing no one says enough:

Writing is hard. Not because you’re doing it wrong—but because you’re doing it right. 

Resistance is Part of the Process

Opening a vein and letting it all out is easy to say. Nobody in their right mind would want to open a vein. Apart from being painful, it is terribly messy too.

We tend to think that if something is meant for us, it should feel effortless. But writing—like any form of self-expression—demands energy, attention, and vulnerability. It’s a strange alchemy of memory, imagination, and emotional risk.

So, if writing feels hard, it doesn’t mean:

  • You’re not cut out for it.
  • You’ve run out of ideas.
  • You’re doing it wrong.

It means you’re showing up for something meaningful.

That little knot in your stomach when you try to write something true? That’s your brain whispering: This matters. Tread carefully. It’s not a block. It’s reverence… for yourself and your lived experience. Sometimes, that makes you feel shy and you want to run away from it.

You’re Not Lazy. You’re Brave.

Let’s reframe the struggle.

When writing feels difficult, most people assume they’re lazy or undisciplined. They label themselves with words like “inconsistent” or “unproductive.” To be honest though, yes sometimes you are lazy and undisciplined. But not always.

Some days the struggle is not a character flaw—but a form of quiet courage?

Because showing up to write is showing up to face yourself. To sort through the noise in your head. To clarify what you really think. And to decide what’s worth sharing with the world.

That’s not lazy. That’s brave.

If writing were only about words, anyone could do it. But it’s about finding truth—and truth doesn’t always arrive on schedule. It shows up when you are already drowning and stays away when you are tired twiddling your blessed thumbs.

The Myth of the Effortless Writer

We’ve all read that one author interview where someone says, “Oh, the story just poured out of me. I wrote it in a weekend.”

Charming. Also… and this has to be said… baloney. 

Most great writing is the result of:

  • Terrible first drafts
  • Long, wandering attempts
  • Quiet days of sitting with discomfort
  • Fighting the urge to quit, again and again

The writers who make it look easy? They’ve just learned to coexist with the struggle, instead of fighting it.

You’re Not Behind. You’re Becoming.

People don’t pursue audacious goals just for the big prize at the end.

Some value what they become in the process.

Becoming is hard—especially when you are becoming something spectacular. You don’t want to be thrown into the fire and be pounded, over and over.

Coming back to the page, when you don’t feel like it, even when you were tired, distracted, uninspired, is hard.

It is hard to keep showing up—not perfectly, not daily, just reliably enough. Something shifts when you do it. Your voice grows clearer. Your doubts grow quieter. Your words grow braver.

It is still hard, but not as much. You realize that the hard you chose, is worth it.

That makes all the difference. This is why writing, though hard, is not a problem.

Writing Tip: Treat It Like a Relationship

Here’s a trick I often share with my coaching clients:

Treat your writing like a relationship. Not a performance. Not a punishment. A relationship.

  • Show up with curiosity, not judgment.
  • Give it time, even on the days you’re not feeling particularly “in love.”
  • Forgive the bad days. Celebrate the small wins.
  • And most of all—listen more than you speak.

Your words are trying to reach you too, did you realize that?

So… Why Does Writing Feel So Hard?

It is hard… because it matters. And it matters because you care.

You’re not just typing words—you’re constructing meaning, shaping voice, building bridges between your thoughts and the world.

It’s hard because it’s vulnerable. And we avoid feeling vulnerable, don’t we? Oh, how we avoid it!

But you return to it. And that is what makes you a writer.

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If you’re tired of writing in isolation and want support in building a more joyful, sustainable writing practice—one that works with your real life, not against it—I can help.

My writing coaching sessions are gentle but firm. Insightful, but playful. We untangle the knots in your sentences and the ones in your self-doubt.

Want to explore working together?

Drop me a message—I’d love to help you find your rhythm again.

Mother of three adult humans. An idealistic, outspoken woman of scrupulous integrity, in love with words. A storyteller who enjoys crocheting tales. And a passionate bibliophile, of course.