“I Hate Writing!” — What Kids Really Mean (and How to Help Them Love It)
“I hate writing!”
As a writing teacher, I hear this all the time when students first enter my class. Some kids say it confidently. Others say it with a shrug: “I’m just not good at writing.”
But after working with hundreds of students, I’ve learned something surprising:
Most kids don’t actually hate writing.
They hate one part of the writing process.
Once we figure out which part, everything changes.
The Real Problem: A Breakdown in the Writing Process
Writing isn’t one skill. It’s a process with multiple steps, and students can struggle at any point along the way:
Brainstorming → Drafting → Revising → Editing → Publishing
When students hit a roadblock in one of these steps, frustration builds. Instead of saying, “I struggle with revising,” kids simplify it to:
“I hate writing.”
The key is identifying where the disconnect happens.
Questions That Help Identify the Struggle
When a student says they dislike writing, I ask them a few simple questions.
Which part of writing is hardest for you?
Coming up with ideas
Organizing your writing
Fixing or improving your work
Remembering capitalization, punctuation, and spelling rules
Knowing when your writing is finished
Then I ask the opposite:
Which part of writing feels easiest?
Having lots of ideas
Writing your ideas down
Improving your work
Understanding grammar rules
Feeling proud when your work is finished
These questions help students realize something important:
They’re not bad writers. They’re just stuck at one step.
The Surprise: Many Kids Love Sharing Ideas
One of the biggest surprises for parents and teachers is that many students love sharing their ideas.
They may not want to read aloud in class, but they enjoy:
Imagining characters
Telling stories
Explaining their opinions
Putting their thoughts on paper
For some students, writing even becomes a stress reliever once the difficult step is addressed.
How to Help Kids Overcome Common Writing Struggles
Once you know where the struggle is, you can use targeted strategies to help.
1. If Kids Struggle With Ideas
Try simple brainstorming techniques:
Write the first ideas that come to mind without overthinking.
Read similar stories or essays for inspiration.
Ask simple prompts like:
What surprised you today?
What would happen if…?
The goal is to remove pressure and get ideas flowing.
2. If Drafting Is Hard
Some students know what they want to say but struggle to start writing.
Two strategies work well:
Create a quick outline first (beginning, middle, end).
Or do it backwards: write everything you can, then organize it afterward.
Both approaches help students break through the blank page.
3. If Revising Is the Challenge
Revising can feel overwhelming because students think it means rewriting everything.
Instead:
Use peer editing so another student can give feedback.
Put the writing away for a few days, then return with fresh eyes.
Distance helps students see what can be improved.
4. If Editing and Grammar Are Difficult
Catching mistakes is hard for everyone—even teachers.
Here are two strategies that work well with students:
Read the writing out loud.
Hearing the words helps identify missing punctuation or awkward sentences.
Read the writing backwards.
Start with the last sentence and work your way to the first. This forces the brain to focus on each sentence individually.
I call this technique “Reading Backwards.”
Another fun strategy is “putting on your teacher’s glasses.”
Students pretend they’re the teacher grading the paper and look for mistakes before hitting submit.
The Most Important Lesson for Young Writers
One thing I always remind my students:
A piece of writing with mistakes is better than a piece of writing never submitted.
Perfection isn’t the goal.
Progress is.
When students learn how to tackle the part of writing that frustrates them, their confidence grows—and writing becomes much more enjoyable.
When Writing Starts to Feel Different
One parent recently shared this after her son finished a course:
“Best of all, he started writing more outside of the course just for fun—something I hadn’t seen before!”
That’s the real goal.
Not perfect grammar.
Not flawless essays.
Kids who feel confident sharing their ideas.
If your child says they hate writing, don’t panic.
Chances are, they’re just stuck on one step of the writing process