"Writing, it turns out, is a difficult joy."

Hello Writers!

On Monday I completed an essay that took months to write. It was ambitious structurally. It was a touchy topic generally. And it was an emotionally charged one for me personally.

So, Tuesday morning was the time to start writing my next essay, since I’m trying to maintain the momentum I’ve built up.

As I’d worked through the difficult essay, the next one felt like it would be so easy. Much shorter. Simpler in structure. A fun, pleasant topic. I looked forward to it. A reward for slogging through the hard one!

Tuesday I started brainstorming. Wednesday—yesterday—I hit the first wall. Turns out, the essay that seemed so straightforward in my imagination might not be so easy to get down on the page. Also, what felt like a happy topic might actually be downright uninteresting. Boring to write and boring to read. So, now I’m puzzling out what to do.

In other words, I’m back to the beginning again. Facing the blank page. Which, as any writer knows, can be difficult.

✿

I’m in the middle of reading this article by an author I love: Sue Monk Kidd on Finding a Flow State in Writing (Lit Hub).

Here’s a quote from Kidd’s article to consider as you prepare to reflect on your own writing practice with the prompts below.

“I’ve never considered any book I’ve written as easy. Each one pushed the boundaries of what I thought I could do. Each book demanded more of me than the one before it. Starting a book, I always get an image of standing on a metaphorical cliff overlooking a deep lake, wondering whether to dive in and try to swim to the other side. It seems beyond me.

If I have any sort of repetitive visualization in my writing life, it’s seeing myself take the plunge, believing that some­how, someway, with diligent work, I’ll get to the other side.

Writing, it turns out, is a difficult joy.”

Here are some prompts for journaling today, or even to reflect on while you sit or walk. Choose one or more—whatever you have time for.

1. Kidd describes writing as “a difficult joy.” Does the same contradictory label apply to your writing practice? If so, write about a moment when the difficulty and the joy existed at the exact same time.

2. Think of a creative project that felt beyond you when you started. What did it feel like to stand at that cliff? What finally made you jump, or, what’s still holding you back?

3. Kidd says each of her books demanded more of her than the last. In what ways has your writing grown more demanding of you over time? Is that pressure something you welcome, fear, or both?

4. If you’re currently intimidated by a project, write yourself a letter from the other side. Imagine a future version of yourself who has completed the project, communicating back to the you standing at the cliff right now. What does she want you to know?

5. Kidd’s faith in herself rests not on talent or certainty, but on diligent work. What does diligent work look like for you, practically and honestly? What gets in the way of it?

6. A visualization: Kidd returns to the image of diving into a lake. Do you have a recurring mental image or metaphor for when you face a creative challenge, especially one that helps you get started? Describe it in as much detail as you can.

As for that last prompt, I myself tend to alternate between two visual metaphors.

The first is rowing a boat. The second is walking forward, purposely, with long elegant strides, and active arms—focused, determined, controlled strides that can’t be stopped. I notice that for both me and Kidd, the metaphors are active ones. Diving, walking, striding. I also notice that there is a substance to move through. The writing project itself is like water. In my striding visualization, I’m not just moving arms and legs through air but something else—there is always a sensation of an invisible crowd to move through, a few trying to interrupt my journey, most others simply hanging around, in the way. Perhaps my mental crowd represents resistance.

As always, I’d love to hear if any of this resonates for you. Hit reply to the email anytime, or, if you have a Substack login, you can reply in the comments.

PS: FYI I decided to post the essay I submitted to CBC’s Nonfiction Prize over on Postapocalyptic People. It is behind a paywall. If you’re interested in reading it, you do have the option to claim one free post.