by Elizabeth M Young

Created on: June 24, 2010

There are frustrations that are inherent to any endeavor. They are mainly centered around reward, competence, knowledge, tools, quality time and resources. For a writer, these are areas that hold many setbacks, disappointments of expectation and roadblocks to meeting goals.

Competence can be challenged even when the writer is a well trained and knowledgeable writer. Converting from writing for the classroom to writing for non students is an example where technical skill will not be a problem, but being able to read the audience and to adapt the writing style is the challenge. The voluntary audience is very different from the captive audience and the change in acceptance and reaction can be frustrating, indeed!

Converting from technical to creative or expository writing can also lead to challenges and frustrations for the experienced writer. The same goes for being reviewed by professionals as opposed to being rated by the general public.

Knowledge can create frustrations when there is too much knowledge and when there is too little. Not knowing the features of the word processor or the online editing platform can be frustrating. Being at a highly educated professional level can be frustrating when the audience needs a lay person's level of writing. It can be frustrating, in other words, to convert familiar, but very high level terms and concepts into plain language that will communicate with an average reader.

Tools are often frustrating in the real world, as we all know when the nail gun or sewing machine fail to work properly. It is the same when the computer, the typewriter, the website, or the internet in general are not cooperating and the best laid plans have to be put on hold.

Quality time means that pure, uninterrupted time is set aside for the writing. All possible irritants and anticipated interruptions have been taken care of.  It is frustrating when unanticipated interruptions require abandoning such a lovely block of time in order to deal with other requirements in life.

Conversely, a writer can be frustrated by having plenty of quality time, but nothing to write. Writer's block, just as with any artist's lack of inspiration or motivation, can be the ultimate frustration when everything is optimal for a good creative session.

Finally, writers establish goals and rewards for their writing, with expectations that their best efforts will be rewarded. It is quite frustrating to put out a well tended written work only to have it rejected, receive poor ratings or be ignored. Disappointed expectations of reward are a consequence of human tendencies to working for some form of satisfaction or reward, only to be disappointed when the work does not produce the expected results.

This is why it is good for writers to communicate and fellowship with each other. Every productive writer, whether they meet a standard of "success" or not, has one way or another of venting, expressing their frustration, getting support and getting ideas about making things better. The larger the writer's community, the better the odds that others will encourage, appreciate or help us to improve our work.

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