Fighting Resistance: Dealing With Resistance as a Writer

Last Updated: January 1, 2021

Resistance might be the number one thing that keeps writers from getting work done. I, myself, have been battling resistance for many years now. It’s like an invisible force that pushes you away from writing. It’s keeps you from completing projects if not outright abandoning them.

I’m sure you’ve dealt with this before, or you’re dealing with it right now. So, what do we do about it? Let’s learn about what resistance is and what we can do to deal with it so that we can get back to telling the stories we love.

Resistance Comes From Fear

Resistance is an oppositional force that is born out of and preys upon our fears. It takes the form of thoughts and behavioral patterns that keep us from writing. At its core, resistance is a reaction to the fear of failure. You see, failure is scary. That’s because failing feels painful. It’s also attached to many negative beliefs that make us feel bad about ourselves. Therefore, our brains want to protect us from it. They’re wired to make us avoid the things that may hurt us and to approach the things that make us feel safe, and so resistance emerges. Ironically, failure is necessary for creativity. It’s how we learn to get better at writing. Therefore, in order to do what we love, we must cope with resistance.

Recently I came up with a method to help myself deal with the symptoms of resistance that I think can help you, too. It’s called Fighting the Resistance Monsters.

Meeting My Resistance Monsters

A few days ago I sat down and wrote out all of the thoughts that came up when I wanted to write, but either stopped or didn’t want to start. My goal was to identify what really was keeping me from getting work done so that I could perhaps do something about it. So, I made a list. These became my Resistance Monsters.

Resistance Monsters are the antagonistic forces that reside along the path between my mind and the page. Their goal is to keep me from writing. They lurk there—some in plain sight and others in hiding—waiting for me to arrive. The second I get there, the second I start to write, they come out to scare me off the path.

The Everything Sucks Monster creeps out and says “oh, that really sucks”. While the Give Up Monster crows “You better give up on that idea.” Perhaps the loudest of the bunch is the Never Gonna Happen Monster who always emerges after several of the others have tried and failed to thwart me off the path to shout, “You’re never going to be a writer!” Some days I can ignore them, but other days they scare me so much I run off the path and don’t look back.

Fighting Back

You see, when I identify my thoughts of resistance in this way, I am able to see them outside of myself: as objects I can actually combat. The key to get past resistance is to not engage with it, as it is a distraction. These resistance “monsters” can be very convincing, but you can protect yourself with…a weapon.

To fight my monsters I use my “Thought Reframing” Sword. So, when the Everything Sucks Monster attempts to scare me, I swing it, casting its power that says, “Yes, this does not sound good right now, but I can make it better later,” and watch as he clumsily backs into his dark cave. Until we meet again.

You Can Do It, Too

Take some time to get to know your resistance monsters. Sit down and write out all of the negative thoughts that come to mind when you think about your project or writing in general. What comes up immediately? Name them. Doing this will separate the thoughts and fears from yourself. When you do that, you can face them and fight them. Next, create weapons. What new thoughts can you come up with to challenge the negative ones? That is your protection. Use them and see how your resistance falls back.

I hope you try this method and that it helps you, fellow writer! Feel free to share with me how you fight resistance in the comments below!

Hi! Shantal here. I’m a writer and a storyteller. I created Shantal Writes to share my experiences with writing fiction. I also provide new writers with tips, tools, and writing advice. I hope you find something helpful while you’re here!