Writing: Difficult, Easy, or Both?

Today I am reminded of the quote...

“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”

― Thomas Mann
 

Normally, I'm not sure I agree with this. Writing is difficult and easy in turns. For me, it is difficult at the beginning. My mind is very sneaky in the ways it tries to sabatoge me. I learned to write anyway.

In one way, though, writing may be more difficult for writers. Writers sometimes take themselves and their writing too seriously. When writing becomes a life-or-death matter to the writer, she starts to block herself. She struggles more because it has turned into a fight with high stakes.

Or maybe writing is more difficult for “writers” because the writer has an arsenal of technical skills, forms, and rules that she juggles. The casual writer does does not bother with all that.

So maybe the easiest way to write is by not being a writer. Once the groundwork is laid, just write. Write like someone who doesn't know how difficult it is to write.