In today’s society, comparing yourself to other people is extremely common. I do it in almost every aspect of my life: in my appearance, in my personality, and especially in my writing.
Between the personalized pieces and the competitive publishing industry, the world of writing is emotionally draining by nature. It is so easy to get dispirited. While the ability to self-criticize helps you improve your craft, too much of it will harm your career as well as your mental health. That’s why it’s important to persevere despite all of your insecurities.
There are three main areas of writing that I get discouraged about often. Here is how I push through them.
1. My plot makes no sense.
With this self-criticism there are two things that are usually happening. Either my plot doesn’t actually make sense, or I’ve been writing for so long that I’m not seeing my piece objectively. Whichever the case may be, the solution here is to take a break and let someone else look at it.
If the piece actually doesn’t make sense, my peer will tell me why and after a break to refresh my thinking, I can fix the plot. If it did make sense, then my peer has let me know, and I can continue writing in a clearer headspace.
2. My writing technique isn’t good enough.
There are some people out there who are indisputably gifted with words and everything they write is like music. Unfortunately, I am not one of these writers. Now, this doesn’t mean that I am hopeless, it just means I have to work a little harder.
This insecurity is very fixable in the 21st century as there are so many ways to improve my writing techniques. It’s very easy to edit my work multiple times, use programs to correct my grammar, and send pieces to my peers. My writing doesn’t have to be perfect right away, it will get there with a bit of elbow grease.
3. The story I have to tell doesn’t matter.
I’ll be honest, I’ve had a really hard time writing this section as this is an area that I am actively wrestling with. There are a lot of important stories out there worthy of being told. I have to remind myself constantly that the importance of other people’s stories doesn’t make mine less important and that I never know just who will find my story impactful.
That being said, there are times where I feel convicted because there is a really important issue at hand, and I doubt my ability to address it. But writing is an amazing tool of empathy. So, if I feel convicted to explore another person’s story in order to address an important issue, I can absolutely do so provided that it’s done from an educated, respectful, and humble headspace.
Remember that you are never alone when it comes to writing. Behind every story that you think is better than your own, there is an author who felt the same way at some point in their process. Keep your chin up, you can do it.
Have a question about writing or the writing life you’d like addressed in an upcoming blog? Drop us a line in the comments below!