Sometimes it can feel like the hardest thing in the world to actually sit down and write.

Sometimes it feels as if the whole world is conspiring to stop you putting pen to paper.

And to put it frankly, this can be a real pain in the butt.

Last week, I was coaching a writer. One of her main frustrations was having to juggle so many things she felt as if her writing was being forced on to the back-burner.

I could relate straight away – and I bet so many of you can too. If you need to earn a living, go to school or college or bring up a family it can be exhausting trying to write as well.

And so sometimes you give up even trying.

But if writing is your passion, not being able to write can feel like a part of you – a vital part – is withering away.

And this makes you feel crotchety,

Unhappy,

On edge.

But all is not lost. For those times in your life when you are genuinely too busy or too tired to write, remember this:

You are still a writer.

You still have thinking time.

You can still be plotting and planning in your head.

You can still be growing characters in your imagination.

You can still be jotting ideas down in a notebook.

You can still be allowing a story or poem to percolate,

You can still be using your life experiences as inspiration.

You can still call yourself a writer.

Because writing is in your blood.

You are still a writer.

This post was taken from my new book, Dare to Dream: Inspirational Musings on Life, Love & Creativity, available here.

All proceeds from the book will be donated to the charity Leuka, helping find a cure for leukaemia.

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To find out about my writing workshops and other opportunities to work with me, please hop on to my mailing list here.