When writing is a struggle, three things help: find out when and where you write best, keep distractions away while you write, and start writing anything at all, because the flow usually comes once you have begun.
Writing is fun, sometimes. When the words are flowing, it seems like you could write forever. People call this being "in the zone". Unfortunately, it isn't always like that. Sometimes it is a struggle to come up with even one complete sentence that you are happy with. Whether you are writing a book, writing articles for your own website or a newsletter, or just coming up with the letter to send out with your holiday cards, it is important to know how to write when you're struggling.
Here are a few tips that can help.
Find out when and where you write best
Everyone is different, so there is no set rule for this. What matters is to figure out what works best for you. If you write best in the morning, try to keep your mornings free on the days when you want to write.
The time of day is not the only factor, though. Think about whether you write better at a desk, at the kitchen table, or shut away in the bedroom. Background noise is another one: do you need complete silence or some quiet background music, or do you write best surrounded by the everyday bustle of your family?
Avoid distractions
This one is big, and many people don't see it at first. Once you know where and when you do your best writing, focus on writing. Don't try to write while you watch TV, and don't plan your writing time for when you are also cooking dinner. When you need to write, do whatever you can to reduce the distractions that are waiting to eat away at your focus.
In some cases, that might even mean hiring a babysitter, turning off your phone, or taking the dog for a long walk before you start. If finding the time at all is the problem, read how to make time to write.
Write
One of the hardest parts of writing anything is simply getting started. Once you are in the flow, the words seem to tumble out, but staring at a blank page is intimidating, and it wastes a lot of time.
If you're struggling to get started, just start writing anything. You can use writing prompts to help, or simply start writing about your topic without worrying about whether it is any good, or whether it is what you really want to say.
Getting something down on paper gets your writing muscles working. Soon the flow that can be so hard to find shows up. You may end up with something you can use; if not, at least you got started. Leave the corrections for later, too: separating writing from proofreading keeps you from losing your inspiration. And if the struggle lasts longer than a day or two, these tips on how to get rid of writer's block can help.
Finish with a check
Once you have finished writing, cleaning up, and editing, take one more step and run your text through the Spell Checker. If what you wrote was worth the time it took, it is worth making sure that it is all spelled correctly.