Last week on the Romance Writers Revenge, Author C.C. Hunter did an excellent blog post that brought up the idea of writer's dark secrets. You can find that blog post here and I do recommend it since it had some really insightful points. Most of all though, it made me think about my own down and dirty dark secret.
I can’t finish the damn book because I’m scared it will prove I don’t have the talent. If I never finish the 1st one I’m never letting myself down.
That's the really big enchilada right there folks. There are nights when I do have the time I could write and I'm actually even itching to do so, but that fear keeps making me second guess going in to write. I will push through this. I know I will, but it's just taking some personal pep talks and the constant reminder that a shitty first draft is what I'm doing. IT IS GOING TO BE SHITTY! It's my first freakin attempt at writing. I'm sure even my favorite authors didn't write a perfect book right out of the gate.
I'll keep telling myself these things and eventually, I'm going to hit that 60k words goal and there will be no looking back. If I can just write this first one I think I will totally move past this.
But, will I just fill that fear with something else? Given the fact that I constantly see writers talking about how they just HAVE to write or they would die, it makes me question am I really a writer at heart?
What does that really mean anyway? Must one feel like writing is the very air we breathe in order to ever be not just a good writer, but an exceptional one?
Maybe once I get past this first book I will feel this way too. I can say that creating stories in my mind are as much a part of me and breathing. Will that translate to the page as soon as I get more used to the actual writing process? I sure hope so.
Did you find it hard to finish that first book? What helped move you along? Do you think a REAL writer can't live without putting words on the page or is a trait that will come to you as you feel more comfortable with your process?
I can’t finish the damn book because I’m scared it will prove I don’t have the talent. If I never finish the 1st one I’m never letting myself down.
That's the really big enchilada right there folks. There are nights when I do have the time I could write and I'm actually even itching to do so, but that fear keeps making me second guess going in to write. I will push through this. I know I will, but it's just taking some personal pep talks and the constant reminder that a shitty first draft is what I'm doing. IT IS GOING TO BE SHITTY! It's my first freakin attempt at writing. I'm sure even my favorite authors didn't write a perfect book right out of the gate.
I'll keep telling myself these things and eventually, I'm going to hit that 60k words goal and there will be no looking back. If I can just write this first one I think I will totally move past this.
But, will I just fill that fear with something else? Given the fact that I constantly see writers talking about how they just HAVE to write or they would die, it makes me question am I really a writer at heart?
What does that really mean anyway? Must one feel like writing is the very air we breathe in order to ever be not just a good writer, but an exceptional one?
Maybe once I get past this first book I will feel this way too. I can say that creating stories in my mind are as much a part of me and breathing. Will that translate to the page as soon as I get more used to the actual writing process? I sure hope so.
Did you find it hard to finish that first book? What helped move you along? Do you think a REAL writer can't live without putting words on the page or is a trait that will come to you as you feel more comfortable with your process?
Fear is a sneaky thing. There is always something that will rear up its ugly head and try to convince us that we're not good enough at something, even after we've conquered a different fear. And half the time the thing we fear never even happens!
ReplyDeleteAs for the "have to write", it definitely is something I feel, even though I shoved it aside for a lot of years. I didn't realize at the time how much discomfort and dissatisfaction it caused when I did that.
The really important thing is to write, and enjoy your stories and your characters, and not fret about whether you're doing things "right". It's different for everyone. :)