Time is not to blame: the real reasons I struggle to write and how I overcome them
By: Sandy Chapman
Tags: Writers On Writing, Procrastination, Writers Block, Writing

Time is not to blame: the real reasons I struggle to write and how I overcome them Sandy Chapman Jun 6, 2019·3 min read

Image by Lukas Bieri from Pixabay

I’ve come to realise over the past two years of not writing my novel that the biggest excuse of all — lack of time — is a lazy short hand. I have plenty of time, but it often feels as though I’d rather spend it on anything other than writing, even though I’ve wanted to write from a young age. It’s as though my conscious brain (aka logic) is telling me to give up on my dreams and ambitions. Why? Here are the top three reasons my brain gives me for not writing, and how I try to overcome it.

1: Other things are more rewarding. Writing is hard. Making myself sit at my desk when I’m surrounded by chores that need doing, or the sunshine is beckoning me outside for a walk, to produce words that I’ll end up deleting tomorrow just feels pointless. If, like me, you aren’t at the point where you get some external reward for writing— an audience who appreciate what you do, some financial gain — then it feels even more pointless. Yes, I get a sense of achievement when I write something I’m pleased with, but there are lots of other things I can achieve much more easily. The trick I use to overcome this is to remind myself of what my sociology lecturer drummed into me: deferral of gratification. You have to make sacrifices in the short term to receive greater reward in the long term. It’s easier said than done when all you can see is a blank page and you have a million and one distractions that are within easy reach, but it’s entirely possible.

2: Other things are more worthy. I make some progress on my novel, and that’s great, but it’s a slow process and I can’t help thinking that I could have spent that time doing something useful. I could’ve cleaned the house, caught up with friends, done some charity work, got some exercise. Almost anything I can think of appears to have more ‘use’ attached to it than spending my time working on a novel that, deep down, I fear I might never finish, let alone publish. It feels as though the writing I produce has no impact on the outside world, and what’s worse, in the time I’ve spent producing it, neither have I. To overcome this, I write at a time when I’m not under any obligation to do anything useful, when there is nothing more worthwhile to do. I write instead of watching crappy tv shows or trying to reach the next level on Candy Crush; I write when I have a lull at work. That way, if my writing is rubbish, it doesn’t matter, I haven’t sacrificed anything to do it because I was only going to waste that time anyway. And if my writing gets better, then it will feel a more worthwhile pursuit.

3: Other things pay the bills. Earning a wage from putting pen to paper seems like a pipedream and I can’t help but think I’m wasting my time. I know that, chances are, I’m not the next J K Rowling. So I aim lower, and console myself with the fact that when you’re working creatively or freelance, success can often come down to how good your marketing and networking skills are as much as your talent. Not earning money doesn’t mean my writing isn’t good enough (although, of course, there are always things to work on improving). But whether I like it or not, I live in a capitalist society, and equating success with financial reward is my default setting. So why should I bother to write when it won’t pay the bills? Because it’s satisfying: it feels good to get my thoughts in print, it feels good to get a response (so please feel free to comment!).

In short, I try to beat my logic, conscious brain at its own game, by giving it logical reasons to shut up.

Ultimately, I remind myself that I write because I am a writer, no more, no less.