The Big Ugh

Public service announcement: What you write in the joyful winds of inspiration, you may have to edit in frustration and tears. Or what I like to call The Big Ugh. 

The Big Ugh is not limited to editing. It might be fixing a story arch or nailing down a shape-shifting character. Writing often becomes hard, discouraging work for which you can give up a story altogether. 

So what can we do to move us through this great obstruction? This is what I’ve discovered:

First, don’t be afraid to take a break. It’s possible to get too close to your story and stop seeing it objectively. Stepping away will give you fresh eyes when you come back. All artistic endeavors are hard if your goal is to create excellent work. Writing may have short bursts of ecstatic wonder, but it’s more of a marathon than a sprint. So pace yourself.

Second, be consistent. Some people need discipline to finish something. That may mean setting a schedule to write and even scheduling breaks during your writing time. Other types may have a tendency to write without an accountability system. But all types need the consistency if they actually want to get somewhere.

Third, fall in love with your craft, again. In marriage, you’re supposed to keep dating, so I’ve heard. I think, in writing, you should keep enveloping yourself in stories. Whether that’s reading novels or listening to audiobooks or watching television series, writers need stories. Experiencing a good story excites us about our own creations. 

Fourth, write for yourself first. Yes, we want other people to like our work, but we are the first and primary critic as a story is churning out. If you only try to write like someone else, your stories won’t have the life and truth that only you can present. Maybe dystopian novels are super popular, but if you find them depressing, it probably isn’t your genre. If you’re not writing for yourself, you will lack the love needed to press through those moments of toil. 

Finally, when you run into The Big Ugh, pray. God isn’t absent from anything he’s called us to do. If you doubt yourself, let his voice remind you why you’re doing what you’re doing. You have a voice that needs to ring out into creation. You were made in God’s image, and I think he wants your voice ringing with his.