Mental Health and the Struggling Writer

Writer: Lucy McLaren

The pursuit of writing can be a joyous one, allowing us to explore our creativity and imagination. It can also be, well, really challenging.

As a writer and counsellor, I am interested in promoting positive mental health tips for authors (especially having discovered first-hand how much of an impact my own mental health has taken at times). Whether you’re just starting out on your journey towards writing your book, are on submission, or have published that novel and are working tirelessly to market it, I empathise and do hope these tips come in handy.

Focus on the positives

Easier said than done, right? Definitely. Take it from a mental health professional who knows how much easier it is to tell people to focus on positives than it is to do it myself!

In a pursuit like writing that is rife with critiques and rejections, it can be difficult to remind yourself of the positive aspects of drafting, submitting and publishing your book.

There are different ways in which you can do this. You could keep a note of the positive feedback or comments your work receives and read back over these at times where you’re doubting yourself.

I have also found that a gratitude journal can very much help getting into the mindset of noticing positives rather than negatives. You can find templates for these online, but a lot of the time it’s simply about noting a few things every day that you feel grateful for or perhaps are proud of. For me, for example, I feel grateful to have the ability to write my stories and share them with others and I try to remind myself of this regularly. It is a wonderful feeling—regardless of the negative emotions it can bring up.

Social Media

Social media has become something of a useful—perhaps even essential—tool in the writer’s toolbox, from pre-publication connection with fellow authors, to post-publication marketing to readers. But it can also be a massive drain on mental health and precious writing time.

Scheduling posts can be very helpful to allow you to plan ahead and avoid the dreaded scrolling. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook all allow you to schedule posts for futures dates and times; I’ve found this really useful so do recommend it. Being able to plan ahead gives you more sense of control (lack of which can leave people feeling quite anxious or overwhelmed).

Social media is ultimately there for you to promote yourself and connect with readers or fellow authors. Optimise it as much as you can but never feel bad about taking a break from it. Sometimes it’s necessary to take a step back for the sake of your mental health.

Anxiety and Self-doubt

I’ve spoken to so many other writers who have heard that sneaky little voice in the back of their head, whispering criticisms and self-judgements, sowing the seeds of self-doubt and the sense that putting their writing out into the world is fraudulent in some way. Good old anxiety.

Wherever you are on your writing journey, self-doubts can kick in. If you feel as though you’re stuck in a cycle of negative thinking, start by trying to notice when they’re coming up. What are they saying? How can you think about this in a different way? Being able to recognise the positives (as outlined above) may be a good step towards countering this negative thought cycle. The more you focus on the positives, the weaker that negative voice is likely to become.

And remember…

Your writing is meaningful: to you and to your readers. You are never a fraud for putting a part of yourself out there. You are really rather brave.

 

Lucy McLaren is a fantasy author and professional counsellor, passionate about writing stories that include a realistic representation and exploration of mental health issues. She is a lifelong fan of fantasy stories, and enjoys reading, writing, watching and playing them. Her debut novel, Awakening: The Commune’s Curse Book 1, releases from Santa Fe Writers Project on 1st May 2022.

Writer’s website: Lucy McLaren