I Suck: A Writer's Greatest Fear

Jul 6, 2010


So I love the WiP I've got going right now, as I've mentioned. I think it's fun and that my ideas are original. Isn't that what we writers always think when they start something new? That it's fabulous and unique and going to take the world by storm? With this in mind, I've written the first 20,000 words.

And then today, I panicked.

How did I know this was as original and fun as I thought it was? What if I'm bringing a sword to a gunfight, as it were? Just recycling plots and characters and ideas that everyone else has already mastered and moved on from? What if it sucks? What if (gulp) I suck?

I remember reading somewhere that if you never have a moment of panic about how much your work sucks, it probably DOES suck. So I guess maybe I'm okay. I've just got to commune with the muse-fish and get a pep-talk from my hubs. He's a good one for pep-talks because he's honest, so I know I can trust him when he says I don't suck.

What about you? What's your strategy for beating the "I suck" moments?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think I've ever truly beaten them yet. It's always in the back of my mind. I just keep going though, if I keep it in my head I'll just slowly go (more) insane.

Emily White said...

Oh my goodness. I swear I flip flop from feeling good about my work to knowing I'm the worst writer in the world at least a dozen times a day. Rather than fighting it, I just decide to work in spite of it. Eventually the feelings of despair go away and it's easier to ignore them when you're too busy writing. :D

Lisa Gail Green said...

Oh my. YES. I was just having one of those.. I say do one of two things: 1. Have someone else read it and give a critique. Chances are you'll be reassured but know what does need work. OR what I did this morning, 2. Go back and re-read what you have. Chances are you'll catch that glimmer again and say 'oh yeah this is actually pretty okay.'

Michelle Merrill said...

This might be a totally lame answer, but most of the time I just tell myself, "Okay, so I do suck. Oh well." Usually at that point I remind myself that I always have something new to learn and that if I never sucked in the first place, I would've never had room to grow.

 
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