Any writers in the house? Give me a high five! Or just say yay as you scroll through this because I can tell you with conviction, you’re going to say “it me” with every point. Now the thing about creative writing is that you not only need to have a command over the language you’re writing in, you also need to have an imaginative mind, a little bit of wit, grit (to take a stand whenever required) and an observational eye. And having all these qualities often leads to writing on topics that are different, new or offer a fresh take on an existing subject. While coming up with fancy pitches can feel good for our ego, when it’s time to get our hands dirty, the task can seem slightly more challenging.
I have been in this situation every so often and when I was talking to my other writer friends about this, we also ended up talking about how common certain thoughts and feelings are while writing a piece. Browse through these thoughts below and know that you’re not the only one!
1. Dang, I have to write on this topic now, why did I ever pitch it?
Like I said, sometimes you pitch a fancy article to your editor and get some applause from your colleagues and as a result, end up feeling like a genius. Only for you to get down to work and realise, you’re the reason why your life is this hard at present.
2. OK, I don’t know where to begin!
You know what I’m talking about right? Cracking that killer introduction to ensure the reader reads your piece from start to finish.
3. Why can’t I get straight to the point without beating around the bush?
On another thought, don’t all of us just want to skip the introduction and fill in everything else?
4. OK, let’s restructure this, maybe then I’ll understand the point of this.
This one’s my personal favourite when I’m right in the middle of my piece and it suddenly doesn’t make sense. You’ve thought over this topic so much, it suddenly starts to seem null. So then you structure and restructure it to make sense of it again!
5. Why did I ever think this was a good idea?
Sometimes it’s figuring out why becoming a writer I thought was a good idea and sometimes it’s writing on a fancy topic. I oscillate between the two often. How about you?
6. Research, research, research.
Are you in the middle of writing on a particular topic and you probably already have done your research but then a random but jarring voice in your head wants you to research more? It comes and goes in phases. You too? No? Just me? OK then!
7. Why does this language sound so weird?
While this thought may not require you to pause your work but you’d be lying if your mind didn’t just wander into an abyss wondering why this language is like this and who formed it. Ah, writer thoughts!
8. How do I find a picture to go with this point now?
The stress to find the right picture can not be explained. Amirite?
9. This article better be read by millions!
And rightly so, no?
10. Am I crossing the world limit again? Oh man!
The struggle with the word limit is my most favourite! Sometimes you’re fighting to meet the minimum and sometimes you’re struggling to edit most of your amazing thoughts out!
Which thought crosses your mind the most? Tell me in the comments below.
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