From Edie: Struggling to write during a difficult season? Discover practical ways to stay consistent, find strength in small wins, and keep moving forward even when life feels overwhelming.
Writing Through Hard Seasons: How to Stay Consistent When Life Feels Impossible
by Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes @KHutch0767
There was a season in my life when everything felt stacked against me, yet it became the very time that taught me how to keep writing when life is at its hardest. I was a doctoral student at Arizona State University in Arizona, living in a state that felt both exciting and lonely. I had left behind my family and friends in New York and stepped into an entirely new world. Along with graduate studies, I was teaching a combined 4th- and 5th-grade class—bright, energetic children who deserved my very best, even on the days when I felt at my worst.
Financially, it was a sacrifice. I had taken a $20,000 pay cut to pursue my doctorate. At home, life wasn’t peaceful. My marriage was strained and dysfunctional, adding emotional weight to already heavy days. And then, in the midst of it all, I discovered I was pregnant while raising my grade-school daughter.
There were nights when discouragement felt like a thick fog. Writing my dissertation, this massive, scholarly book felt impossible. The idea of completing it while balancing teaching, motherhood, pregnancy, financial strain, and isolation seemed almost laughable.
But desperation often births creativity.
One day, I did something that might have seemed strange to anyone else. I hung a calendar inside the storage closet of my classroom. On that calendar, I wrote the names of the classes I had taken and those I still needed to complete. Every single day, I stepped into that closet and ticked off another day. After finishing each class, I crossed it off as well. That tiny ritual became my lifeline. Each checkmark told me, You’re still moving forward. Each crossed-off class whispered, Progress is happening.
Day by day, I made my way through what once felt impossible. And incredibly, alongside four colleagues, I made history. We earned our doctorates in just two years, setting a precedent in our program and surpassing nearly 100 other members of our cohort. I was the only one who gave birth during the program. Just three weeks after having my second child, I returned to class. Looking back now, I marvel not at my strength, but at the grace that carried me through.
The program was so intense that after our group completed it, adjustments were made to extend it closer to four years for future students. What once seemed impossible had become proof that persistence can stretch what others think are limits.
Not everything in that season ended in victory. My marriage didn’t survive. But the lessons I gained about resilience, faith, and endurance became treasures I carry even today. One memory from that time still brings tears to my eyes. I remember a tearful phone conversation with my mother back in New York. I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and doubting myself. She spoke words that still echo in my spirit, even though she passed away a few years ago.
“If anyone can achieve a doctorate, have a baby, and write her dissertation, you can.”
At the time, I didn’t believe in myself. But Mom believed in me. And sometimes, the faith of someone who loves you becomes the bridge that carries you across your own doubt. Prayer and time with God became my center. In the quiet moments, I found strength that didn’t come from my own abilities. That connection grounded me through one of the most difficult and ultimately rewarding seasons of my life.
Today, when I speak to writers who feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or alone, I think back to that storage closet calendar and the simple power of small wins. Because if it weren’t for those small victories, making it through each day, completing each class, writing one paragraph at a time, the bigger victories might never have happened.
Key Takeaways for Writers Facing Tough Seasons
1. Celebrate Small Wins Daily
Big projects are completed through small, consistent steps. One paragraph, one page, one session at a time adds up. Honor each milestone, no matter how small.
2. Create Visual Reminders of Progress
That calendar in my closet wasn’t fancy, but it made progress visible. Writers benefit from tracking progress—whether with charts, calendars, or journals.
3. Build Community Even When You Feel Isolated
When family and friends are far away, create connections where you are. Fellow students, colleagues, church friends, neighbors, or other writers can become lifelines in lonely seasons.
4. Borrow Belief When Yours Runs Low
Sometimes you won’t believe in yourself, but someone else will. Hold onto encouraging words from mentors, loved ones, or friends when doubt creeps in.
5. Stay Rooted in Purpose and Faith
For me, prayer and time with God provided stability when everything else felt uncertain. Writers who remain grounded in purpose find strength to continue when motivation fades. There is gold hidden in tenacity. Not flashy gold, but the kind forged quietly, one day at a time, one checkmark at a time, one prayer at a time. If you are writing in the middle of hardship, know this: your story, your persistence, and your faithfulness to the work may one day become the encouragement someone else needs to keep going.
TWEETABLE
AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association), and AASA (American Association of School Administrators). She serves on the nonprofit organization Submersion 14 board and the 540 Writer’s Community board and is an art instructor for the nonprofit organization Light for the Future. Katherine hosts the podcast Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality. She has authored a Christian Bible study for women and is currently working on the sequel to her first general market thriller novel. Her thriller A Fifth of the Story will debut in February 2024 through Endgame Press.
Katherine flourishes in developmental editing and coaching writers. She has a twenty-year career in education, leadership, and journalism. Katherine freelances as an educational consultant for charter schools, home school programs, and churches. In this role, she has written and edited curriculum, led program development, and helped manage growth facilitating and public relations. She also works as an editor and book coach through her consulting business. Katherine provides skill, accountability, and professionalism so clients can begin, develop, and finish their writing projects for publication.
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