Here are some of my brain teeth.

Writing and the eternal struggle.

Note to the reader: I first shared a version of this essay in May of 2022. I refresh and reshare today as a way of reminding myself—and all of us—that the process has not been and never will be easy. For me, at least. And that’s okay.

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It’s hard to explain what writing feels like.

Though movies and TV tend to glamorize the process, it’s not all tucking yourself into the corner of a coffee shop and typing while rain drizzles against the window, pausing occasionally to sip your coffee, stare into the middle distance, and Think Deep Thoughts.

At least, that hasn’t been my experience.

For me, writing feels like something else entirely.

What writing feels like:

Writing feels like running a marathon, but you have two sprained ankles, and both your shoes are on backward and possibly untied. Only you have no way of knowing for sure because you’re wearing a sleep mask over your eyes.

Good thing you’re running in slow-motion.

Also, you’re not sure how far away the finish line actually is, if you’re running the right direction, or if you’re even a registered participant.

You may simply be an imposter running down random roads hoping you’ll chance upon the actual course and cross the line with the winners.

At this point, it’s hard to tell.

TL;DR: Writing feels like flailing through a marathon you’re not sure you’ve actually entered.

Writing can also feel like climbing a mountain, only the mountain is made of glass.

You’ve strapped suction cups to your hands and feet, but half the time the suction cups pop away, leaving you dangling precariously (yet, at the same time, tediously) in mid-air.

As you hang there swaying gently in the wind, alone and forgotten on the side of a glass mountain—feeling somehow bored and terrified at the same time—you half hope the last suction cup will peel away, allowing you to free-fall into oblivion.

At least then no one would fault you for quitting.

TL;DR: Writing feels like attempting to climb a glass mountain with malfunctioning suction cups, half-hoping you’ll plummet to your doom.

Then there are days when writing feels like taking a road trip, only you can’t find the freeway because you’re stuck exclusively on interchange loops.

Every time you think you’ve chosen the right ramp, the lane that seemed to be soaring outward to freedom curves back and dumps you right back in the middle of the mess.

You try listening to the radio to take your mind off things, but the only station it picks up carries your own voice shouting “BOO” on a loop.

TL;DR: Writing feels like a road trip to nowhere, your only comfort the sound of your own voice heckling yourself.

For me, though, writing mostly just feels like pulling teeth.

Only, I’m pulling my own teeth, and I’m using a pen to pull them from my brain.

In the end, I stand exhausted, dripping in gore, ready to hand the results over to readers.

“Here are some of my brain teeth,” I say.

You can imagine how this goes over.

TL;DR: Writing feels like pulling your own brain teeth.

None of this is to say that you shouldn’t try writing or that the experience is exclusively negative.

There are those fleeting moments of sheer joy and excitement when the entire thing finally comes together. When others finally experience what you’ve been wrestling with all this time, and it all feels worth it.

But reaching those glorious moments always involves a struggle.

Writing is never easy.

It takes a long time.

You’ll have to pull a lot of brain teeth.

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If you’re a writer or creative who feels seen by this essay, consider joining me Monday, January 27, 2025, for my Inner Critic Clinic.

While it's important for all writers to bring a critical eye to their own work before sharing it with others, what can we do when our inner critic becomes harmful?

While our work will always face some measure of critique, what do we do when the call is coming from inside the house?

If your inner critic

• Is a dominant voice in your head when you try to work

• Constricts your creative freedom during the drafting process

• Impedes you from starting, making progress, or completing projects

• Restricts you from sharing your work with others, even in safe spaces

• Says you're not a "real" writer

...then this session is for you.

In it, we'll discuss what factors contribute to our inner critic and how to take steps to disempower its voice and step forward in creative confidence.