If you think that writing—the act of composition—should flow, and it doesn’t, what are you likely to feel? Obstructed, defeated, inadequate, blocked, perhaps even stupid. The idea of writer’s block, in its ordinary sense, Exists largely because of the notion that writing should flow. But if you accept that writing is hard work, And that’s what it feels like while you’re writing, Then everything is just as it should be. Your labor isn’t a sign of defeat. It’s a sign of engagement. The difference is all in your mind, but what a difference. The difficulty of writing isn’t a sign of failure. It’s
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