Does Your Writing Dishearten You?

Dear writer,

I took a little break from writing to delve further into the art of writing for my own novel, and what I’ve gained from this time is a shift in perspective.

This week I want to ask: does your writing dishearten you?

I know this feeling too well, especially when my heart’s true love is to tell the stories it withholds. After all, I’m an editor, and have helped over a hundred writers turn their drafts into finished products . . . so why can’t I do that for myself? This question has followed me around, making me feel like an imposter at my own job. But recently I realised something. The problem was never with my capabilities like I’d often criticised, but with my attitude towards myself as a writer instead.

If your writing disheartens you, let me try to shift your perspective, or at the very least, inspire a new thought.

The reason you have story ideas is because you were meant to write them. No dream was ever given to someone who was incapable of achieving it, and those who never achieved their dreams were only those who gave up. With this in mind, know you are absolutely capable of writing the story of your dreams. Now, let’s move on . . .

If your issue comes from reading over your writing and thinking your sentences sound preliminary, or you just aren’t good at the writing, take a breath. This could mean you’re being too hard on yourself, or you’re a little out of practice or uninspired.

If it’s because of either of the first two reasons, I recommend you keep writing and start reading books similar to the one you’re trying to write. From those books, note sentences you like, specific words that paint a picture or convey a specific feeling. Note the way the author uses metaphors, similes and description in their prose, and practice writing with those techniques. Of course, don’t copy the author. But by practicing this way it will turn the cogs in your brain and get you used to writing differently.

If you are uninspired, take a break from writing. Not a long break, but a break to inhale all of your favourite stories. Re-watch, re-read and remind yourself of why they are your favourites. Take note of how certain things were done, then brainstorm how you can incorporate some of your answers into your own story. You may be feeling uninspired because you are no longer writing a story that excites you. So reignite that excitement again.

If you’re stuck in a mental loop by thinking you don’t know enough about the craft of writing to get started or to continue, I’ll tell you why that is not true.

Storytelling has belonged to our world since the beginning of time. Our ancestors weren’t taught how to tell stories, only we have been in the most recent decades. Those ancient stories have also been the ones to stand the test of time over modern stories. Understand, storytelling is intuitive. It is embedded in our DNA, the ability has been passed on since the beginning.

You subconsciously already know how to tell a story.

You can take me as an example. My novel has been through countless drafts over the years, and I often wondered if the story will ever see the light of day despite how much I already know about the art. My conclusion was to learn more, then once I did, everything I knew could be easily applied, right? But what I found was, learning too much about the craft can turn into self sabotage. There will always be more to learn, there is no finish line to knowledge.

I was constantly psyching myself out, and you might be doing this too. The solution? Write the draft. Then send it to a friend or an alpha reader. Tell them what you want to do with this story and your goal to achieve that. These people will stop you from overthinking your work because you’ll receive an unbiased opinion.

Also, treat your first draft as a practice round and as an outline. It is not the end result, the first try does not need to be perfect, and there is no limit to how many drafts you should write to turn your book into what you want it to be.

Every draft is making progress and every draft is making you practice. On one draft you could focus on getting the plot points down, the next could be developing your characters more. Then the next could be making the dialogue sound more realistic, and the next could be working through your prose to add more metaphors and visuals. It all doesn’t need to be done at once.

Learning more about the craft is fantastic, and it will definitely help your story, but it isn’t all needed before you begin. You can add what you’ve learnt to the next draft.

So, my final words are: please take the pressure off yourself. In art, there is no perfection, otherwise there would be no space for creativity to explore. Take it easy, and you will absolutely get there. All you need is a little practice, and patience with yourself.

We are on this journey together. Now let’s write the stories of our dreams.

Much love,

Elena