Self doubt absolutely sucks.
When one is a writer and is suddenly struck with that paralysing notion of “OMG WHAT IF EVERYTHING I’VE EVER WRITTEN IS AWFUL?” it’s rather hard to bounce out of it. Have you been there, done that? Me too, my friend, me too.
So. How do we climb out of the “I suck at writing and everything is woeful” hole? What is the golden secret?!
Lucky for you (pfft, I’m joking, lucky for me) I have gathered a conglomeration of writers to discuss these doldrums. I turned my highly powerful puppy-dog-eyes on these fabulous fiends, and they’ve contributed to my post. I’m quite excited to do another collaboration post after the gloriousness that was my 2015 YA book predictions! SO ENJOY. That was a requirement by the way, decreed by your queen. [Me.]
CAIT @ PAPER FURY
I’m going to be super short and sweet I’m always so sweet because everyone below is amazing and sums up my thoughts so well. Doubt sucks, but an important thing to remember is: EVERYONE GOES THROUGH THIS! You’re not alone! Also keep in mind:
- If you think you suck, then it means you have excellent taste in art and want to improve. That’s GREAT.
- Taking a break or hiatus from your novel is not a bad thing.
- Don’t compare yourself to published authors. They aren’t working on their books alone! They’ve got hoards of professional input and (trust me) it changes everything.
- Remind yourself why you’re working on this project/novel. Plaster a big sign on your bedroom wall, do WHATEVER IT TAKES, but just keep the reason you’re passionate about your book on your mind.
- Definitely eat chocolate. Like, totally ignore the rest of my list, and just eat chocolate. It’ll work.
KARA @ DIARY OF A TEEN WRITER
Literally the BEST thing to do when you’re feeling down about your writing is to take. A. Step. BACK. Because, if you’re all like me, and you’re constantly hovering between those states of this-is-the-best-thing-ever to why-did-I-even-want-to-be-a-
KATE @ THE MAGIC VIOLINIST
This is a tricky topic for multiple reasons. First off, because all writers deal with writer’s block and self-doubt. There’s no avoiding it, I’m afraid. You will encounter it at some point in your life. Second of all, because there’s no one way to deal with it. We’re all unique and handle our writing troubles differently. But hopefully I can at least give you some ideas on how to tackle this gloominess.
ALYSSA @ THE DEVIL ORDERS TAKE-OUT
SOPHIA @ RAVENS AND WRITING DESKS
Do you other writers ever just look at this beautiful, heartbreaking, mindblowing, complicated world, and think – I’m supposed to turn that into WORDS? It’s kind of ironic that something so glorious as our planet and the people who inhabit it could make me feel so depressed about my ability to write, but it does. I wonder: How will I ever become skillful enough? How have my favorite authors become skillful enough? WHERE IS THE MAGIC POTION?
You all know, obviously, that there is a magic potion and it is called Practice, but it’s still so easy to get overwhelmed, especially with the idea that all those fabulous authors out there write better than you. (They’re so good, how will I ever get published, I might as well stop writing.) (Bad idea.) The greatest cure I’ve found for this kind of writerly jealousy and despair was an old post by Maggie Stiefvater wherein she shares with us an old excerpt of her childhood writing. Because if I know that MAGGIE used to write that mediocrely, it makes me feel a heck of a lot more confident about my own writing.
Another thing I do to help me when I’m feeling down about my writing is – short stories! The awesome thing about short stories it that they’re short. (No, duh.) You can jot a couple pages down and feel accomplished, and they help get your mind off your current larger project. It’s especially nice to write a short story in a different genre then your main project.
ALLIE @ LITTLE BIRDIE BOOKS
Firstly, I must have some sort of cake (or brownie, I’m not picky) and it must be chocolate. I then proceed to have a carefully constructed ritual of sobbing while eating said cake. Let it never be said writers cannot multi-task!
Then I begin the deconstructing: why am I feeling down about my writing? Am I comparing it to other people’s? If so, I tell myself to GET IT TOGETHER. Not everybody writes the same way and that’s the beauty of being a writer. You get to share your unique voice and ideas with the world. The entire selling point is that it’s something different. So be proud of that. Don’t try and emulate someone else, because then you lose the magic.
If I’m just feeling like my writing isn’t up to standard in general, then I’ve probably lost my mojo/love for the story (this is an incredibly technical term, obviously. Mojo, from the Latin: to be unable to form coherent sentences or thoughts, causing one to eat much cake). The best fix I have for this is going back over and reading my story. From the beginning. I put myself into the mind-set of the reader and just binge. While I’m reading I edit (always useful), but it’s mostly SUPER helpful in inspiring me. I get so many new ideas and start to see my characters in a new light and, really, it just refreshes the story for me. It helps rekindle my love for it and remember why I started writing it in the first place. And that then puts my writerly gears back in action.
Aaand a third and final tip: FORGET ABOUT IT. I don’t mean abandon it entirely. I mean forget about it for a week. Or two. Or a month. Put it off your radar and kick back and relax. It’s not going anywhere and you’ll be surprised how much taking a break will inspire an awesome comeback. Sometimes we get stressed and worry if we don’t write then the world might end and someone will forbid us from ever eating chocolate again. But it’s not true. The world will keep going and taking a break will make you and your story come alive again.
Failing that, return to step one.
SKY @ FURTHER UP AND FURTHER IN
We’ve all been there. WHO WROTE THIS AWFUL MESS OF WORDS AND GIBBERISH? That’s when you realize: Oh. I did. When this happens, what’s a writer to do?
1.) Take a step back. Let your writing simmer for a while. When you come back, you may have fresh perspective. And if you don’t, that’s when you get to edit your writing and hack it to pieces.
2.) Kill your darlings. Or, in this case, your not-so-darlings. If you can pinpoint what it is that’s making you go EW about your writing, then fix it, that will probably help you get your face out of permanent cringe mode.
3.) CONFIDENCE IS KEY. Find a piece of writing you do like. Read that. Remember: you. are. awesome. Even if you think some of your writing isn’t awesome, there’s always the next novel. The next sentence. The next word. Believe it or not, you can write awesome things. You’ve got this.
MIRRIAM @ WISHFUL THINKING
Here’s the thing – every writer is going to be down about their writing, at some point. Nobody ever cruises along on a surface of perfection, Nobody writes 10,000 words every day, and nobody leans back in their chair and thinks, “Yep. That’s it. I won’t change a thing.” Personally, I go through phases. I write steadily in the grand scheme of things, but I’ll have a few days or even a week where I feel dry, and the most I can manage is a sentence or two here and there. (Nothing makes you feel more pathetic, as a writer.)
Fortunately, I’ve learned some helpful tricks over the years.
- It’s okay. You don’t have to write every day. You can take a break and read a book or watch a show or go for a hike or draw a picture. It’s good to take a break from things now and then, even if it’s only a small one.
- Try reading books or watching movies/TV shows in the same genre as what you’re writing, if you lack inspiration. This is a trick that always helps me.
- Turn off the music. I have a dozen tailored playlists on iTunes, but sometimes when I’m really stuck, I just need to turn the music off.
- Look at why you’re stuck. One of the main reasons I get stuck is because I’ve written something wrong – a character’s name or personality, a plotline that doesn’t need to be in there. Somehow, my subconscious knows that I’m doing something wrong, and it shuts down on me. Look back over things.
- Get a second opinion. I have close friends who read what I write and are enormously helpful with this kind of thing – find someone you trust and have them read what you’ve written. Hear them out.
And in the end, curling up with Netflix and a cup of coffee is a perfectly acceptable thing to do. You can write tomorrow.
CHLOE @ THE BOOK HUGGER
I’m sure many of you have experienced the dreaded feeling of believing that your writing isn’t has good as someone else’s. It makes you want to rip whatever you’re writing to shreds. But do not fear! I have tips for you on how to defeat this monster.
- Don’t read other young writers’ writing. If you are a young writer, do not read other young people’s writing. This will probably reinstate the self-doubt and end up comparing yourself to others.
- Take a break from your piece. Or from writing altogether. Sometimes it’s good to let something sit for two days or two weeks or two months. Whatever seems like the best amount of time for you. Then, when you go back, it will be fresh and your brain won’t be as clogged.
- REMEMBER: YOU ARE STILL LEARNING. This tip is especially for younger writers, but also can be targeted at anyone. You are not a professional, paid author. You need to remember that you are not 100% experienced yet and do not have all the skills you’d like to eventually master.
- Do not compare yourself with published authors. If you are doing this, just first, STAHP. These authors are published for a reason. They are far more experienced and have gone through a lot to get their books in print. You are not their equal, and therefore cannot compare your writing with theirs.
- And lastly, remember: you’re fabulous.
First of all, thanks for having me! *nibbles on chocolate* *reads on* *amends to eating chocolate cake* These are probably the easiest tips to apply, so there. *shrugs*
Everyone’s tips are just so awesome, and this post comes at a very timely moment as I struggle over the latest rewrite. (As we all know, Cait, you are our omniscient overlord, so obviously you have planned this to the last detail and it was not a coincidence very probable due to constant writer guilt.) Inadequacy is something every artist faces, whether it’s from not creating good enough art, not creating enough art, or just not creating art. (Topaz wrote a wonderful blog post the other day about accepting that fact and moving on.) And so we’ve all found our ways of coping with it — looking forward to reading everyone else’s ideas in the comments!
What I got from this post: chocolate. Also that I’m fabulous. I’m totally okay with these writing tips 😀 And taking a step back is always a good idea (I’m ITCHING to get back to The Daisy List, which is always a good sign).
I am glad I am not the only person who regards chocolate as a cure-all 😉
When I feel like I suck I:
1. Read something I wrote a long time ago (because, oh my God, have I improved).
2. Work on my secondary project (I usually have one) until I hate that, then go back to my other one.
3. Cut the entire section that’s making me sad and start it again (…this is probably why I’m still rewriting…).
4. Once, just once, I let my mother, father and brother read my two openings and give me feedback. This was actually to stop me from being suprememly lazy – they read the first draft version and the rewrite version and, once they said that the rewrite was better, I had to rewrite. I am still trying to work out if this was a good life choice in a year where I have exams.
Love the idea of getting a load of bloggers together to give advice on this 🙂
I’m kinda going through this with my edits right now. For a few weeks, I really just wanted to chuck my story out the window. But having some space from it, and have a really stressful school schedule helped make me go, “Gee, maybe this story isn’t so bad.”
I loved this post!!!!! It was awesome!!!! I think just hearing about other writers going through the same struggles is comforting to me.
THIS POST MUST’VE COME FROM WRITING HEAVEN BECAUSE I’M WRITING RIGHT NOW AND I THINK IT SUCKS.
Cait: Thank you for telling me I have excellent taste in art. 😉 I definitely don’t compare myself to published authors, but /doubt/ comes from everywhere! Lovely tips!
Kara: Yep. Taking a super long break will make you lazy and forget about your book. This is probably why I don’t finish anything.
Kate: I always write one-shot fanfiction when I’m ‘taking a break’ from my book. It helps a lot also because it’s less stressful writing, since you’re just borrowing ready-made characters.
Alyssa: It definitely help to view your book from a reader’s perspective. That way you can veer towards a different path to do the thing you wanted to do originally.
Sophia: I LOVE writing short stories. They’re quick and they don’t pressure me that much because I can end them whenever I feel like it.
Allie: I drink CHOCOLATE milk. That counts, right? 😉 Oh yeah, everybody writes differently just because yours isn’t as elegant as a professional writer’s, doesn’t mean you suck. Hoorah!
Sky: I definitely always go back and delete the things that are making me iffy. And fabulous tip about remembering that you’re fabulous!
Mirriam: Checking out other works of art in the same genre is a great tip to get you immersed into the world of what you’re writing! Nice tip.
Chloe: Bahaha, that GIF is perfect! And yes, thank you for letting me know that I’m fabulous. 😉
One-shots are fantastic! 🙂 I love already having fleshed-out characters to use at my disposal. Characters are simultaneously the best and most difficult parts for me, so fan-fiction is a great way to relax.
Indeed! I learned this the hard way when writing my current ms — stuffing in TOO many Chinese culture inside jokes for my own good XD
Great tips. My graduate school tells me when my writing sucks. Actually, they spend more time telling me when it DOESN’T suck. I always think it sucks.
I LOVE YOU CAIT (AND ALL YOU OTHER WONDERFUL WRITERS WHO COLLABED WITH HER TO MAKE THIS)
I’m definitely going through a writing lull right now and it hurts, but I’ve learned to embrace it and ride over it instead of slog through it. Seriously, I know this entire YEAR will probably be a lull for me because I’m going to be so busy. But obviously this is what I need because there’s literally no way I can change it. I’ve read so many amazing blog posts about taking writing breaks or feeling stuck and they come JUST. WHEN. I need them. So thank you to every awesome human out there.
I do try to freewrite(or do ‘writer dares’) and blog as often as I can (once ever two weeks, haha XD) so I AM outputting creativity… and I’m eating books and TV shows like a pro (when I have time). It takes a lot to make yourself be okay with NOT writing for so long and knowing you won’t be able to write for a lot longer, but I know this is good for me.
Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. Man, I wanna write my bbys so bad.
THANKS SO MUCH. THIS WAS A SALVATION TO ME. I am having a difficult time turning back to my WIP after a long break for traveling.
Also, one thing that helps me kick the writer’s block sometimes is to go back and read through the pieces (short stories, poems, or snippets from novels) that I am most proud of. It gives me a lil boost of confidence. Hey, words do occasionally fall out of my brain as something more than a tangled jumble of mediocre!
I read a good book. And then I feel like I’m an even worse writer. And then I suddenly get this URGE to be BETTER and whoooosh I start writing. 🙂
This post was AWESOME. You all have grand tips. Especially the chocolate one, HEEHEE.
~ Naomi
Great post!
Even though I do not consider myself i writer, this was still really helpful. (I suppose every book blogger is a writer by default)
The main thing i gathered from this was: EAT CHOCOLATE. Which makes me happy. At least i’m doing something right.
So much great advice here! 🙂 Popular opinions seems to be taking a break, not comparing yourself to other writers, and eating copious amounts of chocolate. I can live with that.
I also watch/read works in the genre I’m writing! I’ve been messing around with some paranormal stuff recently, so the Darkness Rising trilogy by Kelley Armstrong and “Supernatural” has helped me a lot.
This post came at seriously the EXACT right time. In the past couple of weeks I have managed to dig myself into a pit of despair over my writing. These ideas are exactly what I needed!
The one that stood out to me is the tip by Chloe about not reading other young writer’s work. This is SO. TRUE. Although there’s a lot of times that I can get away with reading other young works because sometimes it gives me just the right motivation. I think, “Hey this girl that’s younger than me can write this! Surely I can as well!” And then I’m all inspired and motivated and stuffs. 🙂
Thank you all you lovely bloggers! Your tips are wonderful!
There are some good tips here!
If you’re a perfectionist (like I am), then writing can be really difficult at times. Even writing book reviews! Often, when I feel like the words just aren’t flowing the way I want them to, I just try to let it go. When I come back at a later point and have a look, sometimes things really aren’t as bad as I think they are. Other times, they are just as bad (or worse) than I thought they were… and that’s when it’s time to edit. (Or, in the case of book reviews, time to start beating myself up because I forgot to say this or that, or because there’s a typo in there and it’s already gone live, or… you know the drill.)
I’ve found that, even when I think I’m putting nothing but incomprehensible gobbledygook onto a page, there are some half-decent sentences in there. Not everything we put onto the page (or computer screen) as writers actually stinks (and, if it does, you’re either a truly awful writer or an incurable perfectionist, neither of which is conducive to actually becoming a professional). Not everything we write will be a polished gem, either. I think the trick is knowing how to tell the two types of writing apart and edit accordingly so that you end up with a finished product that’s somewhere between “at least it’s grammatically correct” and “that’s so awesome, I can’t believe it came out of my brain”.
This post is perfection, especially since a bunch of people are starting to get caught in that awkward middle group between ending your novel and leading up to ending with Camp NaNoWriMo. I’m having that problem myself.
Seriously, this couldn’t have been posted on a more perfect day.
These are some really great tips, and I love the collab posts you’re doing lately! I often experience doubt about my own writing, but I’m also confident in it. I know it’s not awesome, and I know where my weaknesses lie (descriptions and painting beautiful analogies and things like that), but at least I’m writing. There’s this saying that goes, “The worst thing you’ve written is better than the best thing you haven’t”, and I really like that. I do compare myself to published writers, but only the ones I didn’t like. I’ll go, “Well, if this got published, so can I.” I know it’s awful, but it helps motivate me.
And practice makes perfect — I’m now on my third book, and I can definitely see an improvement in my descriptions and things. It still takes me a while and I have to think about them, but it’s happening! WHAHEY.
Thank you so much for this guys! I loved reading your thoughts and it helps to see the methods you guys have used to get out of that darn self doubt. To me, like most of you said is that I flip flop between: my story is the best thing EVA and then wanting to bang my head against my table. One thing I have found that really helps me is to take a step back (really helps) and stop comparing myself to other established authors and other writers in general. I’ve stopped doing that and starting comparing myself to the me of yesterday. (If that makes any sense at all) *virtual handshakes and tackling hugs* to all bloggers that took the time to make this. 🙂
It’s SO GOOD to know I’m not alone in this. I feel like I’m always on the Gosh-My-Writing-Sucks train. Thanks for the post and the encouragement!
AH! CAN I FANGIRL ABOUT THIS POST?!
Thanks for all the great advice ever! This is amazing!
One of my favourite parts in this movie called Whisper of the Heart is when the girl tests her writing abilities, giving herself two months to get a story done. And…apart from the chocolate SHE DOES EVERYTHING HERE. And, duh, she succeeds. 😀
Gosh this post reminded me about how much I love writing (it’s so beautiful, and writers are such Dons).
Y’ALL ARE DONS FOR WRITING THIS POST!
BRILLIANCE BRILLIANCE AND MORE BRILLIANCE. Thanks Cait and Mirri and all you awesome awesome people.
Also Thranduil gif. I am fabulously happy now.
Chocolate? Brownies? YES! I absolutely agree!
Stepping away? Well, not if you mean procrastinating. I think it’s true, that it’s important to have a break, but I don’t think that all the deviation of the internet will solve my problem.
But my current writing is never the writing I worry anyway. It’s always the past one, that I though was great, that turned out really crappy, so that I started to want to rewrite completely. My friend is totally different, she’s like: Why could I write so good back then and not anymore?
I JUST COORDINATED MY POST WITH YOURS WHAT A COINCIDENCE. Hahah. But seriously, after my confession, I’m glad a bunch of you came together and discussed how to handle such a situation. I FEEL MORE CONFIDENT NOW even though I haven’t written anything yet. I will. I will. I’m saving this post to come back to when I’m feeling bad about my writing.
Awesome post you guys. 😀
Writing slumps are so painful, and I went through a pretty awful one last summer (Because I was trying to balance writing AND a new job, and I was comparing everything to my masterpiece that I’d published the year before which had been so PAINLESS all things considered.) Since then, I’ve swum out of it (rewrote my OTHER masterpiece for NaNo, which is always good for an author’s psyche, and am now breezing though its edit), but still, even as much as I love what I write, there are still days that I sit down and compare it to what’s still clean and pristine in my head, or am struggling to pull those pristine stories out and arrange them with words and sentences and wonder if maybe I wasn’t cut out for the life of an author.
I’m the published (granted, self-published) author of six books, folks – but I still have my days of doubt. Weeks of doubt. It ain’t fun.
I like Allie’s advice of going back and reading over her writing with the eyes of a reader – because it’s what I do a lot – and it usually works if I have enough story to read over. However, the most encouraging thing for me is getting a second opinion. I have several friends (online friends, but this is the internet, so they count) who have read most of or all of my published works, and some of them have also read the unpublished stuff, and one in particular will send me the most encouraging emails.
Because, you see, they don’t have that pristine image in their heads to compare the story to. Sure, some will point out your flaws, but most of them will give you the tools to fix it. But they’ll also see the diamonds you’re missing, the magic you’ve forgotten.
Oooh I like this post! Here’s my situation: I don’t necessarily think my writing sucks as much as I think my imagination sucks. Perhaps I am just useless, creatively. I have been feeling this way since NaNo, which is kind of a long time to feel bad about it, but whatever. I guess I need that cake that Allie suggested 😉 I need to put it in perspective: I do not have time right now, and I have to just let that be okay. But… then it’s not okay, you know? I mean, I am not getting any younger over here! So many of my favorite authors are just a few years older than me… and a handful are younger!
I am going to remind myself of these tips though, when I get so mad at myself that I can’t function. And I really think Alyssa is so right- I WANT to read some book that is going to blow me away in ways I can’t comprehend… but is it realistic to think I can write that book, when no one else has!? Not likely! Really fabulous post, everyone!!
I’m really not much of a writer. I do write a lot for classes though. Sometimes I write something, say “hey, that’s not bad.” I look back at it the next day and think “OH MY GOSH THIS STINKS.” Your tips and advice definitely do help, thank you lovelies <3
So much good advice! Mirriam’s was especially helpful to me. Sometimes I have to turn music off when I’m writing to fully concentrate. I’ve never seen anyone else give that advice before. XD
Stori Tori’s Blog
I struggle with self doubt in my writing all the time, and it was great seeing how so many other writers combat self doubt. I see that a common theme here is taking a break, and I agree that it definitely helps. It feels so counter intuitive to take a break and not write when you’re doubting yourself, but it actually works. I usually feel bad about taking a break at first, but by the end of my break, I realize how truly valuable it is to my writing. I also really agree with Allie in that reading over a story helps me get reinspired. With my current novel, I had planned to scrap it at first. However, when I read it over, I started to get so many new ideas for the story. It was still as bad as I had thought, but the very act of reading it inspired new possibilities in me, which motivated me to work on it more.
Also taking a break sometimes adds in that “oh I CAN'T write and noooow I HAVE ALL THESE IDEAS”. x) At least that's what happens to me. 😉
Chocolate. Helps. EVERYTHING.
Admittedly, I’m the kind of writer who will curl up and go silent if I can’t write. I also take ages to convince myself that taking a step back is not giving up. Maybe I need to try some of these suggestions (especially the one about chocolate.)
Everyone who shared tips on this post is undefinably awesome!
Ohh I am in such good company among such fabulous bloggers! Thank you for including me in this marvelocity!
And I am TOTALLY bookmarking this. It’s totally going to come in handy SO MANY TIMES, I can tell. So much good advice!
And yes. Chocolate. Top notch advice, see?
Great post and one that I really needed. I have been working on something, but then I just stopped because I was convinced it would suck. I said I was just going to take a break, but now I just think I am procrastinating.
CAAAIITT I NEEDED THIS SO MUCH. Literally last night I went through one of those “i literally hate everything I’ve ever written the end” moods and it was horrible. And then this morning I hop over here and find this perfection. I’m literally plastering a sign to my wall, as suggested. Done. And the chocolate too. Mhm.
Currently feeling quite discouraged at the moment, yet still want to write. The discouraged part is because of reviews on book one while I’m working on book two. My mind will wander to the story regardless though. I didn’t think my writing was as bad as they say, neither did my friend who read it. Actually, they got ticked off when they read it. Some people are overly critical and dramatic as they do so. I by no means think I’m an expert, I’m still learning, I know that, but people tend to put you down so much, that it doesn’t seem like you can write well enough.
People will probably say to rewrite, but technically, I don’t have a big problem with it. It’s an upgrade from where it started. In all honesty, I don’t think I have it in me to currently go over it again like that.
I also write short stories, but I’d really like to continue my book series. If there isn’t an audience for book one, or it’s not good enough, is it wasted effort to continue that series?
Feeling discouraged… I love stories, but the writing needs work. 🙁
Aw, I’m sad you’ve not had a good experience with publishing and reviews. It’s always hard to take tons of criticism. Although, I personally think that once a book is published authors shouldn’t read negative reviews. I mean, EVERYONE has a subjective opinion, right??? We can’t possibly please everyone. I’ve had people read my writing and one person say they LOVED a second while another says the complete opposite. *collapses into a pile of confusion* WRITING IS VERY HARD.
*gives you cake* I totally understand this frustration! I hope you figure out what to do. And *whispers* I hope you do what makes YOU happy.
Thanks for the cake! *nom, nom, nom*
My friend suggested not looking at anything less than 3 stars. It’s really hard not to look at them. And normally I hope to look for something constructive, so I can better myself. Although unless you happen to get more reviews on the good side, kind of hard to even try to advertise.
I’ll keep writing for the love of stories. But I should try not to look at reviews.
Thanks for your kind words and the cake..
Yummy~
Thank you. I need this post. Blessed be, Tinthia Clemant
The Summer of Annah: A Midsummer’s Wish
I’ve got my ferro rocher from yesterday’s Valentines, a considerate and all-knowing gift from my wonderful father. I’ve almost finished the box because I’ve been so worked up on my writing. Here’s an annoying thing to consider, I’ve been a writer since 2006, but it’s definitely an on-again-off-again (or however it goes) kind of relationship. Mostly because my grammar is shite, and my vocabulary is severely lacking. I’ve always struggled with these two main things because I’ve confused my brain with both my country’s language and my home’s language…I mean it’s pretty bad if you find me blinking at you in confusion when you had just used a supposedly “well known expression”
I’ve finally jumped back into writing after a long, long hiatus (I’m talking about 10 months) and I’m just devastated with the result of that hiatus. I find myself completely and totally scatter brained, not knowing how to organize my dialogue and characters, confusing my plots, and of course, my grammar and vocabulary is suuuuffering. So now I’m surfing through these sorts of blogs and articles just to find SOME comfort in all of this struggle. I remember a quote saying that you know you are a writer when you are feeling defeated, sucked out and beat up but STILL making the effort to get back into the battlefield and try again! Very encouraging.
Thank you for writing this out 🙂
I’m glad you’re getting back to writing! And just remember you are incredible for balancing multiple languages. I fail with English most of the time and it’s my only language.😂 I think the key is definitely to keep going and to let yourself write badly when you need to and work on fixing it up later. Just fall back in love with writing! (And, like, eat lots of chocolate.)
Good luck!