Is Your Writing Meh? Don’t Force It

 When you’re really struggling with a piece of writing, it can show on the page in a number of ways. As a freelance editor with nearly 15 years of experience, I’ve observed all kinds of trip-ups that hold writers back. 

One of the biggest issues that hinder effective writing is — believe it or not — forcing yourself to write. Forcing yourself to write can blunt the unique character that makes your writing yours. In this post, I’ll offer key considerations to make your writing stronger and more authentic with less effort.

Don’t Think Your Writing into a Corner

Many of us force ourselves to write, and (surprise!) we’re often disappointed with the results. Why we do this to ourselves is complicated, and human. Being a lifelong ponderer and observer, I’ve recognized over the course of my career that writers produce forced writing under the weight of certain lines of thought. 

For example:

• When faced with a new and/or difficult project, we want to jump to the end.

• Even if we have no experience writing something specific, whether it’s an article, a poem, or an entire book, we think, “It can’t be that hard.”

• We get caught up in visions of book signings and becoming famous authors. 

• We spin ourselves into a snowball of urgency, especially when writing books. I don’t have a single, concrete explanation for the spell of urgency, but I manage it with clients constantly (mostly people who are new to writing). 

Tips to Keep Calm and Write On

All of the thinking mentioned above can trigger writers to push themselves unnecessarily, which typically leads to awkward, overly formal, or dull work. Below are six specific recommendations that can cool down mental overdrive and break the cycle of writing uphill.

Note your energy level

If you’re tired, distracted, post-lunch, or especially busy with day-to-day obligations or macro concerns, then forcing yourself to compose probably isn’t in your best interest.

Fatigue can manifest as contortions to make a point or scene work. It can also appear in the form of a tangent that has nothing to do with what you set out to write when you sat down. Those contortions and tangents can seem great in the moment. When you’re fully rested and look back at them, though, you might not think so. 

Unless you have a contract and you’ve been given a deadline, when you’re tired, a nap is better than cranking out a few more pages, or succumbing to this-needs-to-be-the-final-version thinking. Truthfully, the odds are good you’ll have to revise or rewrite later, so go ahead and take a break.

Work with the energy you have 

If you’re on a low tank, try some rough drafting. There are zero rules on how rough that rough draft needs to be, or what to include. Just make any notes as clear as you can in case you’re waylaid from composition time longer than expected. (A day or two can turn into a week or two easily.)

If a rough draft feels like too much, you can try spending 5–10 minutes brainstorming. Even if the brainstorm doesn’t go very far, reward yourself for that short mental workout.

As a third option, you can write up a quick outline. An outline is another tool that is rule-free (when you’re an adult out of school 😉). 

You can make your outline as basic or as detailed as you want. You can move points around later if you need to. You can create a new version of the outline based on the first one, whenever you like. Most writers who are serious about honing their craft are not afraid to tweak or even completely revamp their outlines.

Experiment with writing times 

As a first step, observe how much you write at certain times of the day. Are you sharper at night or in the morning? Compare what you write at different times. Are your descriptions more precise in the morning? Do you feel like you can dive deeper into setting and characters at night? Try this for a few weeks and see what works.

Write when you feel like it 

Most professional (i.e. published) writers will tell you to write every day. I’m bucking that advice here. If you really want to write well, do you need to write regularly? Absolutely. Do you have to write every single day? No. Your mind needs rest as much as your body does. Choose to read something you enjoy on your rest days. Or do something else entirely. But rest your brain, please.

Consider your readiness

Tackling themes or scenes you aren’t ready for is another issue that triggers surface-level writing. To get in the right headspace, you may need to make several trips to the library for deeper research. It’s a change of scenery, and if you stay away from the internet, you can rest easy knowing you won’t run into misinformation. Plus, people who work in libraries are awesome, and they would love to help you.

If the block isn’t a lack of research, you may not be ready to dig into the parts of your writing project that are emotionally complex, difficult, or especially dark. If that’s the case, try focusing on other sections or chapters instead. You also have the option of putting the work aside. Don’t be afraid to abandon your writing project for another possibility. That’s what’s great about writing — other what-ifs are always available.

Pace yourself

Do you have a deadline? Whether it’s one you’ve set for yourself, or it’s been set by someone else, plan accordingly. Create short blocks of time that you can easily fit into your schedule to get the writing done, rather than trying to spit the whole thing out in a long stretch. 

Most people lose writing sharpness within 30 minutes — 45 minutes max. I’ve witnessed it over and over again. Work with that knowledge, and work with how much room you have on your calendar before your deadline. The more you pace yourself, the less pressure you’ll be under, which will boost your writing. It will also keep you out of a loop of second-guessing as you write and revise, which will strengthen your writing as well.  

Closing Thoughts  

Unless you have a contract from a traditional publisher, or you have a tight deadline from an employer, or you urgently need to write up material for your business, there’s no need to force the writing process. It just creates more work, and more stress.

Working with your energy day-to-day, letting ideas simmer, jotting down notes and bits, creating potential outlines, and pacing yourself are important building blocks in the writing process. Making use of the essential starting components of writing — and letting the writing come when you feel ready —can help you create writing that is authentic and unique.