Write Things: On Noticing When Writing Gets Hard

Hello Writers,

This week, I want to talk about something at the very core of your writing life—something that shapes how you show up, how you see yourself, and how you experience the act of creating.

It’s easy to forget, but returning your focus to it can change everything.

Mindset Shift: Remember Your “I Am”

Say this to yourself: “I Am THAT I Am.”
It’s the version of you that loves to write—the one who gets lost in the moment, who follows wonder and possibility, who creates freely without fear. That is your I Am.

Every artist faces the same struggle: the critic, the doubt, the pressure—the sudden winds of resistance that rise out of nowhere. This is Pressfield’s War of Art. And here’s the truth most writers forget: the louder resistance becomes, the more valuable the work before you is. It blows hardest when you’re pointed exactly where you need to go.

But somewhere along the way, many writers forget their “I Am” self.
They forget the ease, the play, the joy of following a spark on the page.
They start identifying with the pressure instead of the possibility.

Here’s the important distinction:
Pressure is not identity. It’s the inner critic telling a story.
Its job is to convince you something is at stake—to push you into perfectionism, people-pleasing, and fear. But art is, and always has been, self-expression first.

When writing feels hard, it doesn’t mean something is wrong.
It means it’s time to check in:
Is this me… or is this the critic?

And this is where choice comes in.

What you focus on grows.
We create through time and attention.
If we put our focus on worry, on doing it right, on avoiding criticism, we create more of that experience in our writing lives.

If we act from pressure—if we let the critic’s whip drive us—its voice becomes louder and more familiar. Not because we’re failing, but because we’re practicing the wrong identity.

And the opposite is also true.

Every time you return to your “I Am” self—the writer who loves to write, who expresses freely, who creates for the joy of it—you strengthen that identity. You move closer to ease, flow, and creative freedom.

It doesn’t have to feel perfect every time.
Reconnection is a practice, not a feeling.

What matters is the direction of your focus—because that is what you’re creating more of.

The Importance of Connection

I’ve seen this pattern again and again inside the Write Things Community.
Writers don’t always notice when they’ve slipped into pressure or perfectionism. It happens slowly—like the frog in water that heats degree by degree.

But the moment they reconnect with their “I Am,” everything shifts.
Their purpose sharpens.
Their voice returns.
They remember why they started.

This is the power of community.

We are not meant to do this alone.
We need mirrors—people who reflect back the truth when we’ve forgotten it.
We need other writers to share our work, talk through ideas, give feedback, and walk beside us through the real (and often hidden) challenges of the writing journey.

Finishing a book is rare—less than 10% of writers do.
Not because they’re not talented.
But because they didn’t have the support, structure, or encouragement they needed to stay connected to their truest writing self.

This is why the Write Things Community exists.
To help you stay anchored to your “I Am.”
To keep your writing identity stronger than the critic’s story.
To remind you that writing becomes possible—and sustainable—when you are not doing it in isolation.

And because I want you to write—to actually show up, reconnect, and create—I’m offering your entire registration back as credit when you do.
Not as pressure, but as one more way I can support you to become the writer you want to be.

Registration for the Write Things Community is now open.
If your “I Am” is nudging you forward, I’d love to welcome you in.

Learn more here.

Thank you to everyone who’s shared this newsletter with a fellow writer or friend. It means the world to me.

Wishing you and your stories all the best,
Trevor Martens
Founder, I Help You Write Things

P.S. If your “I Am” is nudging you forward, I’d love to have you join us in the community.