Have you ever found yourself reading an interesting book or watching a compelling film and thought to yourself, “I really should write something about this.” But then the idea quickly dissipates, because, well, you never seem to get around to it. Sound familiar? Believe it or not, we’ve all been there. Maybe you’ve even said it aloud: “I really should write something…” But then you never seem to get around to it. What gives?
You’re not alone. We’ve all been there. It’s not that you don’t want to write; it’s that you don’t feel like you have enough talent to do it justice. There’s always that nagging voice in the back of your head that keeps telling you, “You’re a creative person. You can write. You can do this.” But then that stubborn inner critic comes along and says, “No, you can’t. You’ll never do it justice.” How else can you explain why you keep coming back to the same piece of creative work over and over again, only to find that it keeps not feeling right?
I remember when I was younger, I used to dream about becoming a famous writer. Who wouldn’t want to be known for their talent, especially when you consider that it takes a lot of hard work and talent to be able to write well? But what often knocks us off our feet is the fear of failing. We’re afraid that if we put our souls into something, then maybe it won’t be good enough. Maybe somebody else will come along and show us how it’s supposed to be done.
It’s a lot to handle. When you’re young, you have so much to look forward to, so much enthusiasm and drive. You want to make your mark on the world, and the idea of combining your creative talents with a pen – or a keyboard, as the case may be – is immensely appealing. But now that you’re a little older, you’re faced with a whole different set of worries. What if you do put your heart and soul into something, and it doesn’t come out the way you want it to? What if somebody else does it better?
There’s a whole lot to consider. For one, you have to decide whether you want your work to be seen or heard. Do you want your words to be shared or kept private? That’s a big decision. It’s something you have to explore and figure out how you feel about, especially considering that many people can be pretty cruel when it comes to literary criticism. If you do decide that you want your work to be heard, you have to consider the best way to go about it. Do you want to write a traditional narrative or flash fiction? What style would you prefer? There’s no right or wrong here – only what feels right to you.
The Waiting Game
Let’s face it: we’ve all been there. Maybe you’re working on a novel, and you’ve been putting off writing it for as long as you can. You finally decide to jump in and churn out a few hundred words, and before you know it, an hour has gone by. Or, you decide to write a few scenes for a short story, and before you know it, three whole hours have gone by. It’s maddeningly frustrating to sit there fuming, because you know that what you wrote wasn’t good enough. But you have to be strong. You have to keep at it until you can produce something that feels right.
It’s not that we want to discourage you from writing. We all need to write. It’s just that sometimes, the waiting game is the hardest part. Especially since we all want the story to be good. We want it to live up to our expectations. That little voice in the back of your head that keeps telling you, “You can do this,” is the voice of your greatest critic. That little voice that keeps telling you, “No, you can’t,” is the voice of your own self-doubt. Believe it or not, every single writer that ever lived had a voice in their head that told them they couldn’t do something, either. It’s the natural human condition. That’s why we keep putting off creating art and why we keep coming back to the drawing board. That’s why we keep coming back to the piano or guitar, looking for that magical feeling that will somehow translate into music.
Getting Back To What You Feel Good About
We’re not saying that you have to put your novel through a whole bunch of rewrites. What we are saying is that you have to find your voice, your unique way of telling stories. And the best way to do that is by writing what you know, what you feel good about. The trick is to find your strengths as a writer and build on top of them. If you’re feeling good about yourself as a short story writer, then write a bunch of short stories. If you’re feeling good about yourself as a novelist, then write a whole novel. But whatever you do, whatever feels right to you, write it.
There’s no right or wrong answer here. What we do want to do is help you find your authentic self, the self that is capable of producing work that feels right. It’s a journey, and it starts here. If you want to write, if you want to tell stories, then go for it. The worst thing that can happen is that you end up not feeling like writing or storytelling is for you. In that case, you’ll know you’re on the right track, because you’ll be doing something that makes you happy. What you’re looking for is that magical “aha!” moment when you feel like you’ve unlocked something, when you feel that surge of creative energy that made you want to pick up a pen in the first place. Don’t be afraid to try out new things; be afraid only of letting your soul mate get away due to complacency.