By Jennifer Blanchard
Last week on the Procrastinating Writers Facebook page, I asked the question: What is the biggest writing challenge you’re currently facing? Everyone who responded had a range of challenges they were facing, but one writer in particular was facing a challenge that stood out to me: She was having trouble just getting started.
I wrote back to ask her what she meant by “getting started” and she said:
“I just need to sit down and DO it!! I’ve been writing some fiction on a blog because I don’t enjoy writing fiction as much as non-fiction. It started out as an exersize for me. It seems that my readers are enjoying my fiction (which is a good thing), but I dread sitting down to do it. Once I get started, it doesn’t seem so bad, but it’s just finding the motivation to get it done.”
Something in her response jumped up and hit me: “I dread sitting down to do it.”
Why, I asked her, would she force herself to do something that she dreaded? It’s no wonder she couldn’t find the motivation to sit down and write.
There is a common belief that if you’re a writer, you should be writing fiction. But not all writers are meant to write fiction.
There, I said it. The truth.
Not all writers are meant to write fiction.
If you’re going to write fiction, you should write it because you love it; because you can’t NOT write it. Fiction is something that lives in your soul. It’s something that gets under your skin and makes you itch with the desire to put words on the page.
And it’s not for every writer.
Writing a novel takes a lot of hard work and dedication. It takes you spending hours alone writing. And if your heart’s not in it, one of two things will happen:
- You’ll never finish
- You’ll do a half-assed job
Not a good thing.
You should never force yourself to do something you don’t want to do.
So if you find the reason you never sit down to write fiction is because, deep down, you just don’t really like writing fiction, then it’s time to ask yourself one question: Why am I trying to write fiction?
Yes, admitting that you don’t really want to write fiction may be difficult, but once you acknowledge it, you’ll be able to see all the opportunities available for you to write what you want to write.
Now that your mind isn’t clouded with the negativity surrounding you not wanting to write fiction and berating yourself for it, you can check out other types of writing, such as:
- Poetry
- Song writing
- News writing
- Travel writing
- Food writing
- Writing reviews
- Blogging
- Magazine writing
- Freelance writing
The list goes on.
Take this time to explore the other types of writing that are out there, and eventually you’ll find the kind of writing you are meant to write.
If you’re not enjoying writing fiction, and therefore can’t find the motivation to sit down and write it, there’s a reason for it…
Just saying.
Have you been forcing yourself to write fiction, but your heart’s just not in it? Please share your experience…
About the Author: Jennifer Blanchard is founder of Procrastinating Writers. For more great writing tips, articles and information, follow her on Twitter.
