Fighting Resistance: Dealing With Resistance as a Writer

Last Updated: January 27, 2025

Resistance is one of the most common barriers to writing. I, myself, have been dealing with periods of writing-resistance for many years now. It is like an invisible force, keeping us from completing projects if not outright abandoning them.

If you’re a writer, I’m sure you’ve dealt with resistance 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 related to our fears. It takes the form of negative thoughts and avoidant behaviors . At its core, resistance is a reaction to the fear of failure. You see, failure is scary, and that’s because failing feels painful. How we feel about failure is often attached to our beliefs. It is common for most people to have negative beliefs about failure, making us feel bad about ourselves when we experience it. Therefore, our brains want to protect us from it. They’re wired to make us avoid the things that cause us pain and to approach the things that make us feel safe.

Ironically, failure is necessary for our growth. It’s how we learn and improve. Therefore, in order to do what we love, the best way to deal with writing resistance is to reframe how we look at failure and tackle those negative thoughts and behavior patterns head-on.

Recently I came up with a method to help myself deal with resistance that I think could 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 have the motivation to start. My goal was to identify–without judgment–exactly what I am concerned about so that I could address 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 emerges first to say “That really sucks”, followed by the Give Up Monster who crows “You better give up on that idea.” Perhaps the loudest of the bunch is the Never Gonna Happen Monster who always shows up after several of the others have tried and failed to thwart me off the path. It shouts, “You’re never going to be a writer!”

Some days I can ignore their intimidations, but other days they scare me so much that I run away and don’t look back. But every monster can be defeated.

Fighting Back

You see, when I identify my thoughts as Resistance Monsters, I am able to see them for what they are: fear. They also become something concrete that I can combat. And, like most forms of combat, we need weapons.

To fight my monsters I use my “Thought Reframing” sword. 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 it clumsily backs into it’s dark corner, until we meet again. When Give Up monster barrels it’s way towards me I parry, blocking it’s attack with the phrase “I feel like giving up right now, and that’s okay, but in order for me to finish this I need to keep going.” And finally, when Never Going to Happen monster arrives, I charge, striking it with a “I make it happen when I write”. Soon enough the path before clears and I am able to move forwards towards the page, feeling more confident now.

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!