9 Reasons to Keep Writing When You Feel Stuck

“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”

― Thomas Mann

Our reasons for writing are never exactly the same, but there are common threads we can connect over. Many writers have complicated feelings toward their craft. In one sense, it’s your lifeline in getting your voice out to the world. In another, it’s also the thing that drives you to keep writing more and more.

When you feel like giving up, take a moment, take a deep breath, and remember why you write in the first place.

Even though it’s a key part of who you are as a writer, it’s easy to get lost in specific projects and goals. Whether you’re working on a book, building a web presence, or any other writerly pursuit, it’s hard work.

It’s understandable to get demoralized at times. However, when this happens, you need to remind yourself why you started writing in the first place. There are so many reasons to keep writing, even when it feels like an upward climb.

You’re creating something you can be proud of.

In psychology, there’s a concept called generativity. It’s all about making your mark on the world—whether that’s through caring for others, helping animals, or anything else you can do to make the world a better place. It usually comes up when discussing life span development; many people never really think about generativity until they’re older.

As a writer, you are creating things. You are contributing to the world. It might feel like a small contribution right now, but that still counts.

This is what makes writing more satisfying than watching Netflix or playing Candy Crush. You’re putting your time into something and you’ll have something to show at the end of it. If you decide to publish your work, whether that’s online or through traditional publishing methods, it’s enriching and fulfilling.

It's a way to connect with others in a meaningful way when you share your work.

It’s scary to do this when you’re a new writer, but if you can find the confidence, it’s very exciting to share your creations. It can take time to make writer friends, but it’s always worth it to get involved with the writing community. Hearing other writers speak about their work is a warming reminder that you’re not alone. Writing is typically a solitary activity.

Even so, knowing that you’re not alone in your joys and sorrows is warming. It’s warming to hear that a published, successful author still struggles with some things.

It’s a creative form of self-expression.

“The role of a writer is not to say what we can all say, but what we are unable to say.”

― Anais Nin

You’re getting your thoughts and feelings out of your head and into the world. This is one of the truest and most universal reasons why people love to write. We have an inherent need to express ourselves, tell our stories, and share our thoughts. Writing is the perfect vessel for these desires. It lets us share our innermost thoughts and feelings in a controlled way.

You can get to know yourself better through your writing.

Before you say I’ve been doing too much yoga and drinking too much kombucha, this is true. It’s not just fluff or an artsy person idea.

When you look at the topics you’re inclined to write about the most often, it tells you something about your interests and priorities that you may not have actively thought out. The places where your inspiration leaps to is a reflection of what you like the most and what you prioritize the most. It’s only natural that you’re going to want to write about what you like best. It can be a process of self-discovery.

Writing encourages you to think about your experiences more and practice meaningful introspection.

Whether you’re writing fiction, poetry, long-form content, plays, or anything else, your work is going to draw on your life. That’s where you’ll need to actively start thinking about what you’ve learned from your life’s experiences. In the words of Johns Hopkins physiatrist Kay Redfield Jamison at one of her keynote presentations, “writing takes the ache away.”

Writing helps you think about your experiences, find the good in them, and understand the bad in them. It helps to soothe old aches and helps you find reason in the chaos that might seem like life. At the very least, it helps you learn lessons from the things you’ve lived through.

It's creating something that could outlast us.

It doesn't have to be in a huge way. I have two booklets written by my great grandfather; they were little self-published pieces somewhere between a memoir and novella. They were never bestsellers or anything grand like that, but I feel like I have some little piece of him, even though I never got to meet him.

Writing, if you stick to it and pursue it hard, will help you make a name for yourself and achieve generativity. It’ll help you be remembered even after your life burns out. I know this sounds dark at first, but isn’t it lovely to think about being remembered for generations after your long, happy lifespan?

You might just improve another person’s day or even another person’s life with your words.

"If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain."

—Emily Dickinson

Let’s bring things back to the present. This might sound overly ambitious or too lofty, but it’s not as unrealistic as it seems at first glance. Every time you write something helpful, motivational, humorous, or optimistic, you might just improve another person’s day.

Even if you only reach one person with your writing, you still reached them. You still brought a smile to their face. Even if you feel demoralized right now, there is no better or true reason to keep writing.