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Writers, But Are You Good Enough?

Posted by plotwhisperer • 6/11/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: keep at writing, staying in the moment, writing inspiration

What triggers your fears of not being good enough?
If you've got all the confidence in the world, what advice do you have for other writers who doubt their abilities?

For more about these fears and how to overcome them, writers visit: tinyurl.com/5exykv (Recognized by Writers Digest as one of the Best Websites for Writers)

User Comments

6/12/09

noetic

direct link to blog (tinyurl doesn't help at all): plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/

As for what advice I'd give, I covered some of it in a blog post (Creative Writing: Part I):

noetic.net/?p=40

Mainly:

1. Set goals, and SCHEDULE times to write. Stick to this schedule. This is the most important part, in my opinion.
2. Separate the process into phases. Don't write and edit at the same time. Don't research while writing or editing.
3. Spend time evaluating your work. Decide what you want to accomplish, and when.

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1. 6/12/09
  
  bloggergirll
  
  great suggestions.
2. 6/12/09
  
  SweetViolet
  
  None of those would work for me.
  
  I have spent the last week trying to write a single blog entry but the interruptions have been non-stop. A week has passed and I have only the title written. For the cooking blog, which draws only lightly on the creative juices as the recipes are cast in stone in my head, I have written most of my entries just before going to bed when I am too tired to be creative, but can steal a few minutes to type.
  
  I can't immerse myself in the creative when I am waiting for the other shoe to drop: when I know someone or something is about to claim my attention but it's not scheduled (setting appointments here is impossible...people just ring you up when they are on the way as time means nothing here). I am hoping this coming week will be less chaotic: scheduling time is easy, but actually using the time productively while roofers, builders, plumbers, flooded tenants, and IT professionals are banging at the door and ringing up makes sticking to it impossible.
  
  How can you not research and write at the same time? Do you just fake it when you are merrily writing along and come to a detail you don't know or have forgotten?? Do men's shirts button from right to left? Is there such thing as a left-handed gun (where the safety in on the other side)? What kind of wood is the Morgan's frame made of? When did pick up manufacturers stop using wood for the floor of the truck bed? Questions like this...details that seldom come up when you are doing the basic research... come to me all the time, especially when I am immersed in the writing. And research is especially critical when I am editing...is that detail that I THOUGHT I knew really accurate?
  
  I don't understand your third point. It seems like a lead-in to your first one.
3. 6/12/09
  
  noetic
  
  First, I think it's horrible that you are forced to write with interruptions. That would definitely not fly with me.
  
  As for 'research', I'm referring to the more substantial stuff and not the finer details. So many times, people try to jump into something without any information. If you're writing a story set in a specific period or location, extra effort should be made to familiarize yourself with this setting. If your characters enjoy a certain lifestyle or have a profession that is not your own, it is important that you understand their perspective.
6/12/09

trailofpen

All I have to say is, I've never met a writer who thought they weren't good enough. Who thinks like that, really?

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1. 6/12/09
  
  SweetViolet
  
  Hahaha! My experience has been quite the opposite!
  
  The better the writer, the more self-doubt I have seen.
  
  I knew a guy back in California whose goal was to be a best-selling author. He was a terrible writer, both technically and creatively, and when I suggested he might want to take a class or two in basic grammar, punctuating and syntax he informed me that the publisher would take care of all of that. The man had confidence...he had no talent, but he had confidence!
2. 6/12/09
  
  trailofpen
  
  from the Oxford English Dictionary:
  self-doubt n. - lack of confidence in oneself and one's abilities.
  
  When I read that definition, (and sorry that I had to pull out the dictionary, but this is the English language we are talking about, and good writers don't throw around terms lightly, especially when they are misused) I find it hard to believe that a good, experienced writer has self-doubt about their writing abilities. I believe experienced writers are more self-critical, but not doubting in their own abilities to write. A writer being mindful of their own tendencies and shortcomings, being self-critical of their own writing, and seeking out criticism from their peers has nothing to do with self-doubt. That is just a writer being thorough and responsible.
  
  And, to address the person who said that it was their goal to become a best-selling author, that person is not a real writer in spirit. They are only thinking about the money and the fame. A real writer does not write for material gain, they write because they must; they must write because there is an uncontrollable and undeniable calling within them to do so.
6/12/09

SweetViolet

WP

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6/12/09

ThriftShopRomantic

I have moments of-- "I think what I'm writing is okay, but can I make it really amazing?"

I have to remind myself that until I send a piece out to be read, I ALWAYS have the opportunity to improve it. And that I CAN improve it, and have in the past.

But that self-critical voice can get loud sometimes. It's important to tape its mouth while you're getting those early drafts done.

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6/12/09

nothingprofound

I just write what I write and forget about it. I know what I'm after and when I've achieved it. It's a small thing, a quiet thing, perhaps a trivial thing, but it makes me happy.

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6/12/09

Shiley

I just write too. I don't worry about if it's good enough. I have moments were I write just for something to do and that's all good and well. Then, I have moments where I write something profound and maybe life altering for someone. I usually know when It affected someone and those are the days when I make it a point to stand up for a cause. My "cause" posts tend to be my best.

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6/12/09

Alcomum

I just write when I feel the urge. And it kind of all tumbles out. However, I have recently begun writing fiction (which I have never attempted before) and have spent a bit of time planning for that and writing down all my potential ideas/plots/characters etc. But I did just sit down one night and Chapter 1 just tumbled out...

So I guess that while I think my writing is not great because it is not planned or structured, the "tumbling out" stuff certainly seems to strike a chord with people - well, the people who leave comments on my blog and send me emails anyway. And that is more than enough for me. It really makes my day when I get a nice unsolicited comment. Hard to beat.

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6/12/09

Epicharis

I've been writing scraps for years and storing them in a boxfile while I didn't have time to focus on being creative...when I read over some of the things I've written days/weeks/months/years later I can instantly spot bad writing despite the fact that I've written it. The things that I don't think are awful I keep, and being able to see a a huge differentiation in the quality of some of the things I write has given me more confidence about the stuff I like.

Now that I'm actually pursuing my creative writing my attitude is that the first time it's allowed to be bad because I can come back to it and make it better later. I don't need to spend days agonising over every sentence while writing the first draft, I can do that in the second/third/fourth/nth draft.

Getting that idea into my head was crucial to moving forward because I was constantly writing chunks and then trying to perfect those chunks without actually moving forward with the rest.

This programme really helped me:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifQsLMQhBrg

It's interviews with some of Britain's top TV screenwriters where they talk about the process of writing. They talk about editing and re-editing, and procrastination and doubting yourself and your abilities. Watching it really helped me to understand that feeling inadequate about your abilities is something that even successful writers feel.

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8/08/09

plotwhisperer

I remember a writing instructor early-on telling the class -- "If you can do something else, do it."
In other words, only embark on a writing career if you can't not do it. Writing for profit can be a challenge and can change you to your core, both in good and in not so good ways.
Either way, a passion for writing sustains you in the end...

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8/08/09

cooper

I'm not a writer but I read quite a few and I think writers just have something special the rest of us do not.

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8/08/09

Stillthinking

I doubt myself when I start comparing my writing to other people. There are some enormously talented writers here...

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