3 Hard Truths That Can Liberate Writers From The Dark Side Of Writing

It’s not always rosy, but it could still be worth it.

As is with almost any pursuit in life, writing isn’t one that’s all too rosy all the time, even when it is something that one is really good at, or even when it is one’s calling.

The art and science of writing requires work, more on some days and less on others — but requires it nevertheless, and sometimes in ways we haven’t approached it before.

On that note, being aware of the dark side of writing, can be helpful to navigate it in ways that help us overcome it productively.

Here are 3 hard truths about writing, that can equip us with liberation we need while we’re at it — and especially on days when it feels overwhelming with much that is to be done.

1. Inspiration Isn’t At Ready Disposal All The Time

While a spark to pour out words can be a great trigger, not always is that the case.

Sometimes, writers can be devoid of the hope and imagination that drives words coming out of them, but that can just as easily not be something that stops them from pouring out anyway. It is key to understand that we as writers need not depend on a source of inspiration to hone the craft.

We may have to go beyond the surface where everything that moves us is floating around for us to tap into — we might have to dig deeper to find something that’s not within easy reach, or to even create something that doesn’t exist in the first place.

It’s really about using the sense of discomfort with unfamiliar feelings to our advantage, even if it takes longer to land it in a space where it can stand to create an impact.

Our sense of purpose can take the place of passion when the latter eludes us every now and then — because even the things that we are most passionate about, are bound to make us outgrow what comes to us naturally, and most importantly, it is not meant to make us feel the same burning desire all the time;

Sometimes we could be overflowing with an urge to send a message out through the words we write, we could feel just as paralyzed at other times — but if writing is a skill we want to sharpen, then the lack of an urge shouldn’t come in the way of conveying something that could still stand to be useful to someone out there.

Even though inspiration isn’t always something we can find ourselves bathing in, the absence of it shouldn’t get in the way of a writer.

2. A Niche Isn’t What We Can Always Bank On

Each of us as writers have a comfort zone, a genre, a set of topics, that we can write even if we were woken up in the middle of night and asked to work on something.

While it is great to have a safe space to bank on, it might be well worth exploring uncharted territories to diversify our portfolio. Of course, this can’t be done when are not even remotely aware of some topics, and a great way to approach this would be to build up on an area that interests us, but is still unrelated to our primary choice of genre.

For instance, one can be heavily into self-help category, while still being interested in health and well-being — and creating content on both can be interesting enough for the writer, while still equipping them with the ability to upskill on forms of writing that are greatly different from one another.

This also stands to change our writing process for the better, such that we can be much faster at writing about topics that are within our comfort zone, while allowing plenty of time to optimize at what we are still new with — in that, it doesn’t necessarily make us feel as though we are compromising on something where our hearts are at, rather it empowers us to know that we are equipped enough at one area to allow ourselves enough time to hone another.

It’s nice to have a niche while still exploring what doesn’t come to us so effortlessly.

3. Writing Is Not A Skill That Can Be Taken For Granted

There are some of us who find it somewhat easier and exciting to communicate through written words, and others who communicate better through other mediums — that’s why we have podcasts and articles conveying the same messages, but meant for different people to pursue their creation.

However, just because we have a knack for writing doesn’t guarantee we will excel at it, no matter the opportunity.

While we can be great at writing articles, we might not be that great with drafting crisp communication emails — and rightfully so, because the two have very different techniques and objectives at play. So that means, there is always scope for learning, relearning, and unlearning, as needed.

It’s a skill that some of us lean on more than others, but it’s not one we can command control over without doing the work, and most importantly, without doing the work over and over and over again.

As with anything really in life, writing too is a skill that can (should) not be taken for granted.

Every writer writes with a different purpose that guides them, but there are some facets to the craft that overlap for all, no matter the what, how, or for whom, the writing is concerned with.

We can rise to light so long as we are willing to work through the dark — and the first step is in acknowledging and accepting the darkness in all the shapes and forms it comes to us writers.

When we are well aware of what could get in our way, we are better equipped to keep making our way despite it — that’s how some truths can liberate us.

3 Hard Truths That Can Liberate Writers From The Dark Side Of Writing was originally published in The Writing Cooperative on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.