The Hardest Part Of Writing… and How I Learned to Love It

Author H.R. Burkett Working On Revisions

As I mentioned in my last blog post about outlines, I am not a particularly technical writer.

I may never win a Pulitzer Prize, but writing itself has generally come pretty naturally to me.

Because of that, as a student, I’ll be honest—I was a little lazy.

My process was simple:

Write the assignment once.

Hand it to my mom so she could point out any obvious errors.

Take her scribbled-on copy and rewrite it neatly by hand.

(Yes, this was before every home had a computer and printer.)

And then?

I was done.

That was, quite literally, the process that got me through high school.

Years later, in my thirties — with the help of a couple of college writing courses—I started learning the real basics of revision:

pace, flow, consistency, and structure.

And if I’m being completely honest…

I loathed the process.

Writing the story?

Loved it.

Revising it?

Despised it.

There was something about going back over my own words that felt exhausting.

Like taking apart something I had just worked so hard to build.

If I thought it belonged there when I first wrote it - how were my feelings supposed to suddenly change?

But lately, something has shifted.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some truly incredible women on my latest stories.

These lovely ladies have been giving me thoughtful feedback, asking the right questions, and helping me see both what’s working and what needs more attention.

And for the first time…

I’m actually enjoying revision.

Their insight has been instrumental in helping my stories evolve into something I am genuinely proud of.

They’ve helped me see that revision isn’t about tearing a story down.

It’s about helping it become what it was always meant to be.

Maybe what I really needed all along was a sounding board.

A trusted set of eyes.

A little collaboration to make the process feel less isolating and far more rewarding.

So now I’m curious—

What do you think is the hardest part of writing?

And have you learned to embrace it?