Self-Doubt & Writer’s Guilt – Keeping on Track, Vol. 2

Issue #24

Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash

Ditch that self-doubt! Write and see what comes out…

Photo by Jordan Steranka on Unsplash

Keeping On Track #2

Here’s the second in an occasional series of posts meant to inspire, cheer you on and keep you focused. In the first, “Get Your Head Right to Write,” (way back in issue #2), I proposed that you be mindful of three simple elements while writing your novel, repeated here for your review:

·      Be disciplined.

·      Have confidence.

·      Make sure you have—and keep having—fun.

This time let’s consider our own inner critics—and deal with the phenomenon of writer’s guilt.

This post on Writer’s Edit: “Is it Normal to Think You Suck at Writing?” is a good place to start. When creating, do you sometimes feel like an imposter? Do you fear your work is boring? Join the crowd. We writers are good at beating up ourselves, sometimes without cause.

On the site “My Date with the Muse,”  Annalisa Parent Summea suggests that we creatives may need to work against our own psychologies in order not to sabotage ourselves:

“If you want to be a successful writer, you need to get out of that negative feedback loop, and get into the right relationship with your inner critic.”

Photo by Katrina Wright on Unsplash

Educator Kevin Kearny compiled a valuable list aimed at counteracting negative writerly thoughts. It’s entitled “How to Build a Positive Attitude about Yourself as a Writer” and offers potential pessimistic views contrasted with preferable optimistic slants. Here’s one of Kearny’s examples:

“I strive for perfection.”

Instead of aiming impossibly high, he suggests:

"Nobody's perfect... but I can be competent at what I do. I'll strive for competence."

For added inspiration, the initial post on this Reddit thread on writing attitude includes this mindset:

“I prefer to remind myself that I get to write.”

I love this sentiment. The more gratitude we can muster over the various opportunities we have in life, the better for our psyches. The only caveat? The chance to write does not come without strings attached:

Or to put it another way…

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(Sarah Rhea Werner podcast)

Which brings us to writer’s guilt, which is definitely a thing. Here’s a definition in verse:

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

In the article “10 Ways to Kick Writer’s Guilt to the Curb,” Colleen M. Story in “Writing and Wellness” sums it up like this: “You fight the battle every day between writing and the rest of your life. Sometimes writing wins. Sometimes life wins. Either way, you feel guilty.”

In “How to Ditch Writer’s Guilt and Write Now,” Sue Weems provides similar guidance, declaring, in short, that you should:

 “Let yourself off the hook so you can enjoy writing again.”

Daphne Gray-Grant, in “How to deal with writer’s guilt,” reminds us that “guilt is not a useful emotion.” She suggests instead that we “write in dribs and drabs,” and schedule time for thinking about both our writing and editing.

Okay. Enough guilt. Let’s move on to vocabulary.

Background pic by Pisit Heng on Unsplash

This issue’s offering is a word you may already have known. It was introduced contextually, so let that be a warning to you.

What is a caveat?

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Action Plan

Support the talented Unsplash photographers who illustrate these issues!

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Next Up:

It’s anniversary day! Let’s review where we’ve been (with links), and shine a light on where we’ll go.

#25) - One Year of Writing Rhythm – Looking Back & Forward. See you in two weeks!

Craig