Everyone struggles with writing, whether it be a student writing a paper for their English Literature class, a reporter writing an article for the newspaper, or even an author writing a book. Somehow, the easiest sounding topic can be so difficult for even the most seasoned and experienced writers.

Now, you may be confused. Why is a journalist, a writing student, asking how does a person write? Well, it’s simple: all of us have struggled at some point with writing, and there are many factors that play into that. Lack of motivation, low energy, high stress, medical issues, and various other things cause people to become less productive, and for those who have to write a lot, less writing gets done because of “writers’ block”. Contrary to what you might think, writing actually can give you a lot of anxiety, especially if it’s a topic you have never studied or a writing format you have never tried before. This can give a person negative and apprehensive feelings about writing, causing them to be less confident in their work. For example, you could be perfectly capable of writing a chemistry lab report, but you can’t even type a single paragraph for an editorial on civil disobedience. Maybe you are amazing at writing an argumentative essay, yet you aren’t able to write a speech for a contest.

Trying to start a writing piece can be very difficult, even scary according to some because you have to think of a strong way to grab the readers’ attention. According to Tai Braley, a high school student, struggles with trying to write long papers because of problems he has with finding how to extend sentences. This, as it turns out, is a common obstacle, amongst many other problems, for many students and teachers alike. Often, when you are trying to write a good paper, you have to keep checking yourself to make sure your sentences aren’t too long or too short. In these situations, you are forced to find ways to embellish and lengthen your writing, especially if you have too many simple sentences. This is where the motivation starts dwindling and you start to feel stressed. As time passes, you feel more and more pressure to try and finish, but your effort and energy have drained to the point where you just want to curl up in a ball and cry. Does this sound like a familiar experience? If so, then you know exactly what I’m trying to explain.

Writing can be extremely difficult at times, and can even give you anxiety and frustration. However, you can always take a break, breathe, and come back to it with fresh eyes and a clear head. You work much better without so many stresses and things to do clouding your mind. Just remember: other people are in and have been in the same boat as you. You are not alone.