I think it’s accurate to say we’ve all struggled with the strength of our stories. What if they’re no good? What if I get laughed at? What if no one likes them? It keeps us quiet.
We stop telling our stories because it’s been done before. The best authors out there have already mastered what we’re dreaming of — I mean, just look at Patterson’s section when you walk into a book shop — which one of us can really compete with that? So as a result we slack in the words we put down.
I don’t feel like writing; I’m uninspired. Nothing will be good enough.
We’re intimidated by our own standards. Intimidated by the eyes that might disagree with how ‘amazing’ and ‘creative’ it is. Perhaps someone told us: “This isn’t anything special" — and we believed them.
How many stories have we missed out on?
Be Persistent
Lurking through the sea of online writing can be intimidating at first. Other writers seem like they have all the tricks figured out — just follow their steps and you’ll be in the big leagues. If only it were that simple.
The self-doubt that comes from being a new writer online infects everyone. Th most difficult part to grasp is that success is not only subjective, but it also doesn’t happen overnight. Hell, if you’re chained to a 9 to 5, it probably won’t even happen in a month — which can be disheartening. This is when your determination needs to kick in.
It can’t be the best if I quit.
It can’t be the best if I don’t try and improve.
It can’t be the best if I never write it to begin with.
Even if each day is only spent trying to think of the next sentence, those words are slowly walking me to my intended destination.
Have Fun
Stop your anxieties in their tracks (I know, easier said than done). Remember why you’re writing in the first place. It’s a passion. You don’t have to be the next best seller to be a writer (which turns out is more about quantity rather than quality). You just have to tell your stories. Remember when you first sat down to write?
It wasn’t fueled by the amount of SEO-laced content you could reuse fifteen times. Deadlines were only the silly dates we created while shouting: “I’m gonna be an author when I grow up!”
Instead, it was fueled by our desire to say something special. Something we dreamed about or a view of history in time; something that couldn’t easily be repeated. We let our imagination run wild, even if it turned out to be silly and nonsensical (sometimes that’s exactly what we need).
For the longest time I was afraid to write one of my stories because I forgot I was doing it for fun. I had a knack for words and wanted to display that like painters displayed their works in galleries. Those desires led me here — and I’d describe it similar to an epic fight scene.
Write Smarter
If someone tells you that taking their $167 online course will help you become a better writer: run.
Everything is on Google. Literally. Plug in things you want to learn about and I’ll bet you even find some things on Google in that course…and it’s free.
Tell me — where do you think that person selling the course learned their tricks?
Was it a Stephen King internship?
Was it knowledge passed down from some top notch executive of marketing?
More likely it’s because they studied techniques and found what works for them. They teach you how to copy (no pun intended). The problem with that is it doesn’t work for everyone, but it might work for someone. On the down side, it can also make your writing a bit robotic. These tricks are tailored to each person who learns them and finds a way to weave it into their lives. You’ll find a dozen of these courses, all slightly different from each other, but giving you the same information. Don’t let their “success” as a writer, convince you that you don’t know what you’re doing if it doesn’t match who you want to be in the creative field.
As a writer, you have all the tools you need — your imagination, a desire to say something, and the determination to make it come to life. No training from some guru online is going to make you a better writer, but it will put your money in their pockets.
Remember Your Life
I often find myself thinking about what got me interested in writing.
The third grade elementary room where I made my first ‘book’ is still clear in my memories. Printing out each page with a sentence or two gave me a hit of dopamine (before I knew my body lacked it). I’ve never been an artist like my dad, but I was determined to do my best to measure up and create the perfect drawings for each story.
Since then, I haven’t stopped writing. Most of it was probably trash in the beginning — not because I didn’t know how to write — but because of my young age and what I still had left to learn. Over the years of refining my voice and learning what matters to me as a writer, I’m glad I didn’t let one hiccup stop me. Keeping that reminder in the back of my mind has helped navigate this new digital age full of content creators and marketers.
Read more stories in my cozy nook on the internet at Haus Reverie.
