Is thinking "Oh god this is all a mistake I fucked up this is all garbage what am I doing why did I ever think I could be a writer?" part of the process for every writer working on a novel?
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Small part of it. It's getting over the thoughts of "Oh god, I have to advertise this, but I don't want to feel like I'm annoyingly shilling my book." That will REALLY get ya.
For every artist or creator in every medium, yes. Not talked about enough, but yeah we all have those days where we feel unworthy of whatever creator title we have assigned ourselves.
Yes. Every time. Every story. Get it read by someone else early and often to keep motivated. If left alone with my writing I tend to quit cause I think it's fucked up.
I'm just saying, most of the best writers thought they were shit. William Blake, John Keats, Emily Dickenson. I promise you didn't invent imposter syndrome, you genuine piece of irreplaceable treasure.
Did you mean to say why did I think I could write in the normative sense so that the norm would validate that I’m a writer give it up dude only you determine an identity as a writer as long as you think the external world has to determine it there will be no expression
Dude I relate to this so much. Been working on my own book first draft and I often get the “This reads so bad! I have no right to write a book! I’m a garbage writer!” Thoughts, but then I write several scenes I enjoy and have friends and family read it and I start to feel better about my writing.
From what I've seen, yes. :/ Every writer I've ever interacted with seems to go through it. Unless they have a stunning amount of self confidence, which seems to be pretty rare among us as a group.
Can't speak for writers, but for this fiction translator -- yes! Also looking at previous projects and wondering "Who the heck perpetrated this abomination?.. Oh, right... Me."
Possibly, I'm more in the camp of, "Let me look back on my old works... oh, my God, did I write this? Was I ever so loathsome and inept as to look upon this with pride and satisfaction? Did my parents give me my name because 'Mediocre' was already taken? Burn it, burn every last scrap!'
Not a writer but from what I understand from the social media posts of most writers..... yes. The few who DON'T admit that are horrid Pathological liars and plagiarists like JKR
100%. Send my manuscript for book two to the editor, thinking he was going to shred it. He didn't. So, write your book. Don't worry about the garbage aspect because not everyone will love it, no matter what you do.
At least you’re doing it! I’ve let my self-doubts stop me! I’ve started about five times and after a few chapters I’ve always said…this is crap and then scrapped it. 🤣🤣
Years after Shakespeare's death a friend marveled that he composed his works with scarcely an inkblot or a cross-out on the pages; and he was a successful businessman and a working actor, too. Genius!
For the rest of us: "'There's no good writing, only good rewriting," is a phrase I bear in mind.
All artists have self-doubt....And writing is Art! You won't ever please everyone, you just have to please enough people so they want to buy your writing :) Keep your mind on an audience of one, and have your writing speak to them.
I've written my whole life- it's my voice and outlet- at the same time I've never felt serious? enough at it to call myself a writer.
I don't even know what writers do. I write shit if people won't listen to it and I say things if they won't read it. I imagine things cause real life boring.
Early drafts should be garbage. That garbage is what you turn into not-garbage over several drafts, each one a bit less stinky than the last until one is lemony fresh. T'is a time honored practice of award-winning writers.
Short answer: yes. Producing art of any kind tends to make you think what you produce is garbage because you're always on the precipice of being your best producer in the moment. Constantly judging your content as you go forward with it is a mind trap.
If you’re thinking, “this plot/character/element in the story isn’t sucks” yes.
If you’re thinking you use too much dialogue and your characters don’t sound right, and every description feels like it doesn’t capture the image in your head, and you have too limited a vocabulary to write
I've written two books. In trying to write the third, I seriously don't know who that guy was that wrote the first two. I don't know how those fucking things got written. I am a talentless hack with no command over the English language: a writer!
Every writer of any kind, in my experience, but yea, a chunky undertaking like a novel is gonna heighten it. Just always remember, the audience is probably gonna be less bothered by percieved issues than you are, everyone's their own worst critic.
Oh, it absolutely is! If you think it's bad now, wait until you publish it! The pants-pissing TERROR is like no other. "People are buying this?? Not related to me? Oh God..." (Cue Beavis 'Aaaaah!! No!')
Every sing time, apparently. I'm rereading my manuscript now ahead of an agent call at the end of the month (a book I've rewritten, reread, and pitched a billion times - a book i love) and imposter syndrome still keeps rearing its head every few pages
Breath dude. I've been a fan of yours for literally my entire adult life. Your writing chops are top notch. You don't lack ability, you are amazing and I cannot wait to read whatever you're writing.
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You're doing fine, trust me.
"why am i on here when I should be writing something real"
- my brain every five minutes on every app that isn't scrivener or notes
That inner critic is both a blessing and a curse. The thief of joy, but also the forger of great revisions.
For the rest of us: "'There's no good writing, only good rewriting," is a phrase I bear in mind.
I don't even know what writers do. I write shit if people won't listen to it and I say things if they won't read it. I imagine things cause real life boring.
I think this sums it up well:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ut2YF7j318I
If you’re thinking you use too much dialogue and your characters don’t sound right, and every description feels like it doesn’t capture the image in your head, and you have too limited a vocabulary to write
Also yes.
To quote Morris West “there is no great faith without great doubt.”
When we don’t question things we live at the Santa Claus level of reality.
Or put some time aside and meditate.
Results may vary.
Did it my last novelle.
Doing it my current novelle.
Done it for all short stories I've ever done
“I wrote that? That’s actually pretty good!”
They'll both give you helpful insight, and usually you see they like how the book has come out so far!