From Frustration to Fulfillment: How to Enjoy the Writing Process

I’ve been thinking lately about a topic that often comes up in discussion among writers: enjoying the writing process without getting too caught up in the outcomes.

We all know how easy it is to get fixated on things like reviews, bestseller lists, or contest wins. They’re like siren songs calling out to us, promising validation and success.

But what happens when those things don’t come our way? We experience disappointment, self-doubt, and frustration, overshadowing the joy we should be feeling from the act of creation itself.

So how do we walk this tightrope?

It Can Be Hard to Focus on the Writing Process

For many writers, hoped-for outcomes serve as a huge motivation to get that next work out there. This one may be the one that reaches bestseller status! Or maybe it will push us over the edge to making a profit. Or to finally gaining the recognition we hope for.

We all know that it’s “good” to enjoy the journey, as they say, but come on. It’s easy for Stephen King or Margaret Atwood to tout the joys of creation while they’re living the lifestyles afforded to them by their celebrity.

It’s not so easy when you’re slaving away on your fourth novel while scraping together every dime from your day job to promote the book, hoping that this one will finally be your ticket to greater writing freedom.

We all fantasize about how that celebrity writing life will make things easier. We wouldn’t have to have day jobs or side hussels, and could just sit back and enjoy writing.

The question is, it there a way we can sit back and enjoy the writing now? And might we reach success faster if we do?

Why Is It Easier to Focus on Outcomes than Process?

It’s only natural to seek recognition and validation for our hard work. We want our stories to be read, appreciated, and maybe even celebrated.

But it goes beyond that. We writers typically don’t have a salary to go along with our work, yet we work just as hard (or harder) as professionals who do. We can go after it for years or even decades in near obscurity. We long for that validation for many reasons.

The bestseller list (and beyond) would make our writing life easier. It would also justify all that time we’re spending. We could finally show all our family members, friends, and acquaintances that what we have been devoting all this time to was worthwhile. And man, would it be nice to get a little money along the way!

So we chase after those goals with each book we release. We ride the roller coaster, and if we’re strong and dedicated, we try again and again.

It’s not a bad thing, necessarily. When it becomes dangerous is when we don’t reach those goals and we start to get discouraged. We can begin to wonder if the way it is now is the way it will always be.

What if we never reach the bestseller list? What if we never make money from this? What if there is no hope of ever increasing our status as writers? Can we enjoy the journey then?

Focusing On Writing Outcomes Alone Can Lead to Discouragement

I think this is a question every writer has to answer for themselves. It’s one of the reasons I wrote Your Writing Matters, to help writers examine it carefully.

Not everyone who wants to write will become a celebrated writer. Not everyone who publishes books will be able to quit their day job.

Rejection letters, negative reviews, or missing out on that coveted award can feel like crushing blows to our self-esteem. It’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring our worth as writers based on external validation.

No wonder, then, that our motivation to keep creating can wear down until we quit…or simply lose the spark we once felt for writing.

If you’ve ever gone through a time when you felt hopeless about your writing future, you know what it’s like. It doesn’t feel good. For some, it can be truly devastating.

Shifting Focus to Writing Process Restores the Magic

On the flip side, when we shift our focus to the process of writing, magic happens. Instead of fixating on the end goal, we learn to savor each moment spent crafting a sentence, developing a character, or refining a plot twist.

By immersing ourselves in the act of creation, we open ourselves up to endless possibilities. We become more attuned to our creative instincts, more willing to take risks, and more open to experimentation.

The pressure to produce a bestseller or win a contest fades away, replaced by a sense of freedom and playfulness. Writing becomes a form of self-expression, a way to explore our inner worlds and share our unique perspectives with the world.

We writers know what all this feels like too. Getting lost in a story is the best feeling ever.

So how do we balance the two?

Enjoying the Process More

My fourth novel and my seventh book—The Curse of King Midas—is releasing soon. I’m happy to say that though I still hope for all the good outcomes, I feel like I’ve been able to enjoy the process of not only writing the book, but getting it ready for publication, more than I ever have before.

I’d like to think that this is due to experience. I’m starting to look at my career as a whole rather than hitching all my hopes on one project (or book).

I’m also feeling more comfortable in my identity as a writer, and have received enough validation up to this point that I’m not as doubtful as I have been in the past.

It Takes Awareness to Enjoy the Writing Process

I am also making a purposeful attempt to savor each step. Creating the book trailer, for instance, was a lot of fun. Setting up events at bookstores is exciting. Making all the final preparations for publication is a little stressful—things always seem to pop up at the last minute—but I’m making sure to take a step back each day and say, “Man, on the whole, I just love this!”

Do I hope readers will like the story? Absolutely. But I know the outcomes will be as they will be. It will soon be out of my control.

At that point, I’ll be immersing myself into the next book. It’s a balancing act, but I find the more I purposely focus on the process, the happier I am.

It’s not hard to focus on the outcomes. We think about those frequently no matter what. Making a specific attempt to focus more on the process can create a healthier balance that will last us a writing lifetime.

How do you balance your desire for certain outcomes with the necessity of enjoying the process?

_{Featured photo by Karolina Grabowska via Pexels.}