This week we’ve been getting motivated to chase after our writing dreams by combating the many lies aspiring authors tend to believe. But we writers can be hard on ourselves, and even the most inspiring affirmations can be difficult to absorb.
Here are 5 strategies to help you stop being down about your writing:
1. Brush off the lies you tell yourself
Like with any goal, half the battle goes on between the ears. If you have a negative perspective toward your writing abilities and goals, you’ll struggle to get anywhere in your journey. If you haven’t already, check out the previous 3 articles in the Aspiration series for the top lies aspiring authors tell themselves and how to combat them.
2. Focus on improving your weaknesses a little at a time
Struggle with dialogue, character description, or interiority? Identify what you don’t like about your writing and jot it down. Then prioritize improving on these elements one a time. There are endless affordable and free resources for improving your writing craft online. Check out blogs, YouTube, writing craft courses, and one of our favorite resources: Better Writing in 5. A good quality critique partner can be invaluable when it comes to improving your craft. And if you’re still looking for help, consider a writing coach.
3. Seek impartial feedback
Family and friends are always great cheerleaders. But you’ll feel even more confident about your writing when it’s reviewed by someone who isn’t a regular part of your life. Voracious beta readers and experienced critique partners can help you identify blind spots in your writing and offer tips on what might work better in your manuscript. Another helpful option could be an experienced freelance editor who can put you on to the latest standards in the publishing field. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. This is one of the quickest ways to improve.
4. Push yourself
Any writer who writes regularly knows: you’ll have good days and bad days. Set a goal to write for 30 days straight, or even 5 days a week. You’ll soon find that you struggle with certain aspects of your writing. These are weaknesses you’ll simply have to push through. This is when it’s useful to place the description or line that’s troubling you in brackets or highlight them as a reminder to return to it later. Push yourself to keep going. Make a commitment and stick to it the best you can. When you reach your deadline and you’ve achieved your goal, you’ll feel that much better about it.
5. Give yourself a break
Some of the best advice I’ve ever heard is to take a break after completing your first draft. (Not before! That’s a recipe for disaster!) But between revisions, it’s always wise to take at least 4 weeks away from your project. This is a great way to strengthen a manuscript. Sure, when you return to your story with a fresh pair of eyes, you’ll wonder how you ever could’ve made so many typos and plot holes, but you’ll also be reminded of what made you fall in love with the story in the first place, and now you can make it shine even more.
Conclusion
Improve what you can, accept what you can, and just keep writing. These are the keys to continuing to fall in love with your own writing and improve on your craft daily. Believe in yourself and your abilities and one day soon you’ll find others asking how you managed to do it! Now that you’re inspired, let’s get going on that next project! Need help generating some fresh ideas? Check out our next series, where we’ll be discussing how to generate brilliant ideas—5 steps at a time.