Writers Who Hate To Write

Yeah, you read that correctly. I’ve said it out loud and put it on paper. I hear the trolls shouting outside my door, holding pitchforks and fiery torches. I’m not trying to shame anyone. I want to shed light on a shared experience among writers so those who can relate feel understood, supported, and empowered to keep writing.

It's important to remember that the writing process is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Some writers may find joy in the final product, while others may relish the creative process but struggle with certain aspects like revision or outlining. Wherever you find yourself on this spectrum, know that your feelings are valid and you are not alone. Your dislike for certain parts of writing does not invalidate your passion for the craft.

“For some writers, the act of writing feels boring and tedious. For others it feels scary and dreadful. And for some of us, it just plain feels hard.” - Lauren Sapala, Author

Why Do Some Writers Hate Writing?

If I interviewed ten writers, I’d get ten different answers about what they hate about writing. There’s not one answer that checks all the boxes, but there are a few common complaints writers report. Self-doubt, outlining, revision, and pitching are common contributors to hating part or all of the writing process.

Self-doubt

Self-doubt is an obstacle for most people, not just writers, but it tends to be rather prevalent among artists. Since artistic work is subjective, inevitably, some people will love your work, and others won’t. This creates the perfect opportunity for self-doubt to creep in.

It’s common to equate the quality of your work with getting published, book sales, and positive reviews. Even if the number of sold books assures you that you are a good author, it’s still art, and plenty of reviews will conflict with the importance you’ve bestowed upon those sales numbers.

Aside from performative measures, it’s common to experience self-doubt during the initial stages of idea formulation. You may find yourself vacillating between a grandiose sense of yourself, believing your book will become a bestseller, to bone-crushing self-doubt.

Your idea may seem perfect in the beginning. You’ve envisioned your book selling millions of copies and becoming the next blockbuster movie.

Then…you sit down to write. The opening scene looks okay but not great. You go back to it the next day and erase everything. You can’t believe you wrote such “junk.” Now, you feel foolish, but you slog along because it’s your job—you are a writer.

Does this sound familiar? This is self-doubt rearing its ugly head, but you don’t have to let those insecurities rule you.  

How to tackle self-doubt

One of the best tricks for dealing with self-doubt is meeting it head-on. For those of you who would rather ignore it, I’m afraid that won’t help. Instead, the trick is to invite it in as though it were a guest visiting. Sit down with your self-doubt and ask it what it wants and why it’s there.

Chances are, your self-doubt is there to protect you from possible embarrassment or perceived failure. Or, maybe it represents a voice from the past, like a critical parent, and the doubt doesn’t belong to you.

Whatever the reason, it’s time to deal with this annoying guest. Rather than kicking it to the curb, thank it for visiting. Tell it you appreciate its presence, but you have to get back to work.

The less you allow self-doubt to rule you, the less frequently it will visit. When it does show up, its impact won’t be as great. A little self-doubt, like a bit of anxiety, isn’t so bad. It can motivate you to do your best.

When self-doubt interferes with your writing process, then it’s a problem. When you begin to hate parts of writing because the self-doubt is so loud, or you stop writing altogether, it’s time to have a sit down with Mr. Self-Doubt – Godfather style.

Outlining

For writers who utilize outlines, the process can feel more like a chore and less like creating art. Developing an outline can feel restrictive, whether you outline by choice or necessity. It’s like getting a ticket to travel to Italy, but instead of allowing the day to take you where it may, you’re forced to follow a strict itinerary that doesn’t allow for deviation. Sounds fun, right?

Writers tend to resist formulating an outline despite previously finding it helpful. Sometimes, it’s about the particular outline formula they use. The more dogmatic the outline, the more constricted they feel. Other times, even if the outline is flexible, it’s a struggle to wrestle those preliminary ideas onto the paper.

Managing your outline process so you don’t hate it

One of the best ways to get over the outline “ick” is to view it as a map where you can take alternate routes as your story develops. An outline works best when it’s flexible and malleable. When you’re using Google Maps and take a wrong turn, it reroutes you - the proper outline can do the same.

It’s a lot less overwhelming and confining when you view it like this. When developing your outline, know that things will change as ideas and characters develop. An outline aims to help guide you so that you’re not 40,000 words in and your story has little conflict, a slow pace, and underdeveloped characters. It assures that all the foundational elements are present in your story so you can add layers as you write forward or during revision.

While many writers use an outline at the beginning of the writing process, it’s also helpful during revision. You can add details to your outline as you write so that when you go to revise, you have a “Cliff Notes” version of your story. This helps you see the big picture elements that must be addressed before tackling less foundational components, such as line editing.

Revision

Writers either love revision or hate it. Very few feel neutral about such a big undertaking. Those who love it usually think the most challenging part of writing is developing the first draft and are relieved to be done with that piece. For them, revision means being one step closer to completion.

For those who hate revision, writers may struggle to objectively examine their story and words. It may be painful to cut a chapter and “kill your darlings.” Revision can also be a time when self-doubt is most consuming.

A few use revision as a guise for procrastination. They may spend months or even years revising their work. Until the story is released into the world, it remains as perfect as the author imagines.

Writers who are self-proclaimed perfectionists (the cousin to self-doubt) may hate revision because no matter what they do, it never looks as perfect as they envisioned.

Making revision less daunting

Revision is most manageable when the steps are broken into small, digestible, bite-size pieces. It’s tempting to start at the sentence level, but in the end, it won’t be an efficient use of time if you end up cutting 10% or more of your book.

Starting with the big picture ideas is paramount to an effective and efficient revision. Big-picture ideas are the threads that run through each chapter, sewing the story together. One loose thread, and the story doesn’t hold.

Does my story have a point and purpose? Is it clear? Are the characters believable, with logical motivations and conflict? Does one chapter lead to the next, or do some seem like unnecessary fluff?

Once you address the big-picture issues, you can move on to more medium-sized issues. Does each chapter have a good hook? Are the opening pages compelling? Does the middle sag?

Finally, minor issues, such as sentence structure and grammar, are addressed. Once you’re at this stage, sending it out to Beta Readers or a book coach can be helpful. With their feedback, you can decide if you need to do an overhaul revision, a partial revision, or decide it’s good enough to submit.

“Very few writers go about their business feeling dewy and thrilled. They do not type a few stiff warm-up sentences and then find themselves bounding along like huskies across the snow. For me and most of the other writers I know, writing is not rapturous.” -Anne Lamott, Author

Pitching

Ask a writer to develop a synopsis and a query letter, and you might see frustration unfold in real time. An exasperated sigh, a palm to the face, or a full-stop “uh-uh, not doing it” is common pushback.

Trying to condense a story into a single page can be daunting. Add a query letter, in addition to talking with agents and publishers, and pitching can suddenly feel like an entirely separate career.

Pitching is a somewhat extroverted practice and requires writers to sell themselves and their stories. Most of us aren’t gifted with the salesperson gene and must push ourselves to do the work. Anytime you feel forced to do something, you likely won’t enjoy the process.

Making the pitch your B#$*!

You have three choices here. The first is to “suck it up, buttercup.” Okay, that’s more or less a suggestion from the school of hard knocks and may be a little harsh for most. Pitching is a necessary evil to selling your book, even if you self-publish, so if you don’t want to do it, move on to suggestion number two.

The second option is to delegate part of this work to someone whose profession it is to help writers develop synopses, query letters, research agents, and create pitch plans. It’s helpful to have experienced and objective eyes to help you summarize and sell your story.

If this isn’t an option because of money or for other reasons, there are plenty of books and webinars on pitching your book. In the age of information saturation, it might be hard to decipher the “right way” to do this. However, if you take pieces from here and there while trusting your gut as to what feels right for you, I assure you that you will be well on your way to developing a successful pitch plan.

Conclusion

It’s important to normalize the writing process and illuminate the fact that there are parts of it that writers dislike. No one likes every aspect of their job, no matter who you are or your profession. A perfect profession or job doesn’t exist.

Emma Grede, CEO and co-founder of SKIMS and Good American, discusses her rule of thirds in relation to work. She says that when one is chasing a dream or doing something difficult, thirty percent of the time, one will be happy doing the work. Thirty percent of the time, that person will feel okay about it -and- thirty percent of the time, people will feel pretty unhappy about what they’re doing. *The other ten percent is likely nuanced.

“For writers, the question isn’t ‘How do I stay committed when I’m in love with my work?’ The question is, ‘How do I stay committed when I temporarily hate it?’

“An experienced writer is somebody who knows when the hatred is temporary.” - David Purcell

If you’ve tried some of these suggestions and still feel overpowered by hating the work, it may be time to seek outside support. Hiring a writing coach to get you through the rough patches can be highly beneficial. There’s nothing quite like having an objective pair of eyes on your work to help guide you in the direction you want to go. Though this may sound like blatant self-promotion, I’m happy to make a referral for your particular needs, as I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.

As a therapist and writer, I believe in the power of support and the positive impact of objective feedback. A writing coach can help you when you’re struggling. We are trained to evaluate manuscripts and provide developmental editing. We are also trained to actively listen to our writers and provide honest and compassionate feedback.

A book coach is part cheerleader, editor, and project manager. Writing coaches can help you with your project from beginning to end. Writing doesn’t have to be done in solitude. If you’re feeling challenged, create a support system to help you – you and your writing deserve it.