Assalaamu alaikum Reader,

I haven't been written regularly for over six months. And then suddenly, two weeks ago, I started dipping my toes back into my writing. I submitted a picture book draft for a critique. I revised another picture book draft and sent it to a friend for feedback. And I finally started working on a memoir about my writing journey.

I'm just as busy as I was six months ago. Work feels overwhelming. There's the added pressure of trying to make sure my kids enjoy their summer. And of course, there's the genocide that weighs heavily on all our hearts and minds.

But I started writing. And I've been thinking about what made me finally say 'yes' to my writing.

So many of us struggle to make time for our writing. When I search for solutions online, the answers are plentiful. They all sound like: If you really want to write, you’ll make time to write.

There is some truth to that sentiment, I think. Which is that in order to say yes to writing, we need to say no to other things.

But only you can take stock of your life and truthfully assess whether you’re in a phase where your writing needs to take a backseat, or whether it’s time to honestly ask yourself: why am I not writing?

Here’s another way to look at it: What ARE you prioritizing when you’re not prioritizing your writing?

I worked with a writer once who had a long list of volunteer activities that she was involved in. She did those things in addition to working and taking care of her kids and family. But she always struggled to make time for her writing.

In the course of our conversations, we got to the heart of the issue. It wasn’t that she couldn't make time for her writing if she wanted to. It was that she struggled to say “no” whenever anyone asked her to do something.

In my work as a writing coach, I’ve realized that so many of the issues that come up with our writing trace back to bigger issues we might be struggling with — issues of self-worth, of people-pleasing, of letting our lives be guided by the fear of what others might say.

Perhaps the real question isn’t, How do I find time to write?

Perhaps what we need to be asking ourselves is: Am I worthy of my own time and giving to myself? Am I going to honour and explore my creative potential? Am I going to write even if the people around me think it’s a frivolous activity and a waste of time?

Or maybe, the real issue is your own fears about your writing. Maybe you're scared you'll open your notebook and nothing will come out. Maybe you're afraid that you'll write something and it will never get published, so you avoid writing altogether. Maybe you've faced rejection before or received a harsh critique and the thought of having to live through that again is too painful so you gave up on your writing.

It’s hard to take an honest look at ourselves and assess why we’re not writing. But if you don’t want to find yourself several years down the road filled with regret because you never did anything about your writing dreams, it’s important to do this work, to figure out why you always say 'no' to writing, and how to find your way back.

For myself, I finished my short story collection last year and worked really hard to get it done so I wanted to take a break from my writing. But I didn't need a six month break. And I realize now that what I was worried about was that I would try to write and not enjoy my writing anymore. That I had told all the stories that I wanted to tell, and I had nothing left in me. I felt like a new writer all over again. I was scared to go back to a blank page and discover nothing of meaning coming out of my pen.

So I started small and made a few edits to a story that was almost done. I began tinkering with some sentences and tightening up a few lines. And then I moved on to a picture book draft was that was less developed. And Alhamdulillah, I found that I still enjoyed writing.

If you find yourself saying 'no' to your writing again and again, here are some journaling prompts that I hope will help you dig deeper:

• I want to write, but…
• When I think of saying yes to my writing, what gets in the way is…
• When I’m avoiding my writing, what I’m really avoiding is…
• The real reason I never make time for my writing is…

When you can push past the surface of “I don't have time to write” and uncover the true reason behind why you’re never able to make time for your writing, that’s when you can begin to address the issues that are holding you back from making writing a priority.

I hope this was helpful. If you gained some insights about your writing and why you've been avoiding it, please reply back 🩵

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With best wishes & duas for your writing,

Hajera

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How I can support you in your writing:

✍🏽 Transform your writing by learning craft and getting my feedback on your stories: Join me inside Grounded Writers, a creative writing membership for Muslim women​

📖 Find fiction intimidating and not sure how to go from writing about your life to writing fictional stories? It's easier than you think. Take my Ease Into Fiction course, currently at 50% off

📞 Struggling with your writing and need some guidance from someone who has been where you are now? Book a call with me and get advice that works for you and gets you feeling excited about your writing again.​