Second guessing yourself

LittleFlowerLei · Aug 2, 2009

(I don't know if this is the right place to put this, but maybe it is.)

Lately, I've been trying to work on the sequil to my currently finished product (Check my sig! ^_^ ) but I can't seem to get into it because I keep second-guessing if I can really write or not. It's getting to the point where I keep asking myself "Whats the point? I can't do it right anyway," and I really hate it.

How do you guys keep from second-guessing your abilities? and how do you keep yourself going even if you don't believe you can write at all?

Vespertilion · Aug 2, 2009

When I first started writing novel-length pieces, I had no idea I'd ever want to try and publish. I did it because it felt good, like it was something I could do. After I finished about three novels' worth, I thought, "Why not try? If you're going to spend hours a day after you get home from work anyway, you may as well."

That's when I started second guessing my abilities. When I formatted it, and went through to fix all the quirky things I'd done because I didn't know any better. And the first rejection came. That's when the first doubt came, and when I started to wonder if it was worth it.

Longwinded way to say: don't second guess your ability. Be critical of your skills, your style will change, and the market will change. Write your stories because you're the only one who can, and because you think they deserve to live, then go back and tighten, clean, and edit.

Write for yourself first, keep the ugly little duckling in a secret folder to visit, and send out a very marketable swan.

LittleFlowerLei · Aug 2, 2009

Clovia said:
When I first started writing novel-length pieces, I had no idea I'd ever want to try and publish. I did it because it felt good, like it was something I could do. After I finished about three novels' worth, I thought, "Why not try? If you're going to spend hours a day after you get home from work anyway, you may as well."

That's when I started second guessing my abilities. When I formatted it, and went through to fix all the quirky things I'd done because I didn't know any better. And the first rejection came. That's when the first doubt came, and when I started to wonder if it was worth it.

Longwinded way to say: don't second guess your ability. Be critical of your skills, your style will change, and the market will change. Write your stories because you're the only one who can, and because you think they deserve to live, then go back and tighten, clean, and edit.

Write for yourself first, keep the ugly little duckling in a secret folder to visit, and send out a very marketable swan.

okay, that makes sense. So what you're saying is that right now, during the first draft, I should just worry about getting the story down on paper and worry about the parts that I think suck total eggs when I'm ready to edit?

Aggy B. · Aug 2, 2009

LittleFlowerLei said:
How do you guys keep from second-guessing your abilities? and how do you keep yourself going even if you don't believe you can write at all?

I remind myself that there have been other things that I had no ability for and I worked hard and improved. (I suppose if you've never improved at anything that won't work. And I don't mean the personal "you" but the general "you.")

I also do a bit of analysis (usually after half a bar of chocolate and a strong cup of tea) on what exactly I'm second guessing. For me there is usually a specific issue I'm having doubts about. (Plot is rocky. Which turns into: Plot sucks. This quickly spreads into: All I can write is genre. Which in turn spreads into: I can't write anything original. And that becomes: I can't write.) Once I take some deep breaths, maybe a walk around the yard, I can steel myself to examine the doubts and hone in on the real culprit. Half the time the doubt is unfounded. The rest of the time I turn to the "I can fix this" mindset.

It isn't easy. I had a massive wallow in self-doubt last night. Had me on the verge of scrapping my MS and starting from f*cking scratch. (After three drafts and almost 150k words worth of work. Which is a lot for me.) After a good night's sleep I realized I just needed to iron out a few plot bumps. Now they are looking smoother, the MS is looking better and I am back on track.

So. Dust yourself off. Tell yourself that you can get better at whatever it is you think you can't do. (Then repeat a bazillion times until you actually believe it.) And keep writing.

Vespertilion · Aug 2, 2009

"okay, that makes sense. So what you're saying is that right now, during the first draft, I should just worry about getting the story down on paper and worry about the parts that I think suck total eggs when I'm ready to edit?"

That sounds good.

As you tell, I'm pretty verbose in a first draft, so I have multitudes of darlings to kill. Get it out, let it breathe, and then start chipping away for the shape you want.

LittleFlowerLei · Aug 2, 2009

Aggy B. said:
I remind myself that there have been other things that I had no ability for and I worked hard and improved. (I suppose if you've never improved at anything that won't work. And I don't mean the personal "you" but the general "you.")

I also do a bit of analysis (usually after half a bar of chocolate and a strong cup of tea) on what exactly I'm second guessing. For me there is usually a specific issue I'm having doubts about. (Plot is rocky. Which turns into: Plot sucks. This quickly spreads into: All I can write is genre. Which in turn spreads into: I can't write anything original. And that becomes: I can't write.) Once I take some deep breaths, maybe a walk around the yard, I can steel myself to examine the doubts and hone in on the real culprit. Half the time the doubt is unfounded. The rest of the time I turn to the "I can fix this" mindset.

It isn't easy. I had a massive wallow in self-doubt last night. Had me on the verge of scrapping my MS and starting from f*cking scratch. (After three drafts and almost 150k words worth of work. Which is a lot for me.) After a good night's sleep I realized I just needed to iron out a few plot bumps. Now they are looking smoother, the MS is looking better and I am back on track.

So. Dust yourself off. Tell yourself that you can get better at whatever it is you think you can't do. (Then repeat a bazillion times until you actually believe it.) And keep writing.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has such massive moments of self-doubt that I almost do something drastic.

and I'm going to try your suggestion the

Tell yourself that you can get better at whatever it is you think you can't do. (Then repeat a bazillion times until you actually believe it.) And keep writing.

thing. Hopefully that'll help me to stop panicking about not being good enough.

Mumut · Aug 2, 2009

What do your beta readers think of your work? Have you submitted any of it to SYW (Share Your Work) forum. As I read the questions and comments here, in AW, I learn all the time. I've had really valuable assistance from SYW and from writers' groups I attend locally.

So make sure, first, your work is the best you can get it and then your query letter is even better. At that point you can try to get published. But do heep writing. I found I had a year beteen my first and second books and it will be over a year before the third is published. I was stopped in the supermarket yesterday by a lady who recognised me by the photo on the back cover. She wanted to know when the third book of the series would be out.
So keep writing so you are ready when your first book is published. And don't doubt yourself as long as the book is the best writing you are capabal of any everyone loves it.

vfury · Aug 2, 2009

This happened to me recently. When I realised it was linked to being confused over a later plot point, I immediately my first reader and hashed it out with her. She offered wonderful insight and an outside opinion, and I figured out how to fix my problem.

When it comes to stalled writing that's linked to self-doubt, I fret about it to someone so I can get it out of my system. Then I grit my teeth, ignore the doubting voice in my head, and force myself to keep on going. The writing probably won't be great until I get my rhythm back, but those words can always be fixed later.

Wayne K · Aug 2, 2009

Never. I'm convinced that I was meant to do this, and I always have been. Am I good yet? That idea rattles around my head, but for me it's not 'can I? or can't I?' it's more "am I as good as I want to be?' that answer is No, and will remain so.

I don't want to be good. There are a lot of good writers. I'm convinced that I can be great. If I can achieve that, keep the money and fame.

scarletpeaches · Aug 2, 2009

Wayne K said:
Never. I'm convinced that I was meant to do this, and I always have been. Am I good yet? That idea rattles around my head, but for me it's not 'can I? or can't I?' it's more "am I as good as I want to be?' that answer is No, and will remain so.

I don't want to be good. There are a lot of good writers. I'm convinced that I can be great. If I can achieve that, keep the money and fame.

I fucking love this attitude so much I could eat you with a spoon.

My answer? Stubbornness. At first I needed something that was entirely my own and that took me away from real life. Then I got to enjoy it. Then I realised I was good at it.

Yes, I have my moments of self-doubt. Actually hours rather than moments, but ultimately...my love for writing and desire to be great, is far more powerful than the voice that tells me I'm no good.

KellyAssauer · Aug 2, 2009

Mumut said:
What do your beta readers think of your work? Have you submitted any of it to SYW (Share Your Work) forum. As I read the questions and comments here, in AW, I learn all the time. I've had really valuable assistance from SYW and from writers' groups I attend locally.

Local writers groups are always best, it's harder to lie to you in person.
Beta readers can be impossible to find (depending on your topic) and SYW forums can be a wonderful, helpful, learning experience when someone comments, and then it can be beyond cruel when no one
has a single thing to say and your post just lingers into a long death.

Somewhere in all these tools at your disposal there will be a way to get it done, if you have the will power to stay with it and listen and learn!

Mr Flibble · Aug 2, 2009

I think second guessing yourself is actually a good thing as long as you don't let it cripple you

No really. It makes you look more critically at your work, to see where you can improve. Second guessing your plot? Teak it, twist it, make it better. Think you can't write a decent character to save your life? Then find out how to, plonk them on the page and watch them come alive.

I second guess myself all the time. But I don't let it take over ( okay, occasionally lol). If something is niggling at me and telling me 'pfft, that's crap' then that's what I need to work on, not an indication I can't do it. Just that I haven't done it yet.

KellyAssauer · Aug 2, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
I fucking love this attitude so much I could eat you with a spoon.

You are so lucky Wayne K!

You can usually fend her off when she just has the spoon.
but if she gets out the knife and fork...
We can loose three Newbies an hour.
Haven't ya always wondered where they went? =)

Wayne K · Aug 2, 2009

Assauer said:
You are so lucky Wayne K!

You can usually fend her off when she just has the spoon.
but if she gets out the knife and fork...
We can loose three Newbies an hour.
Haven't ya always wondered where they went? =)

I picture her in a Catwoman outfit asking "Did you bring the dynamite?"

M.R.J. Le Blanc · Aug 2, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
Yes, I have my moments of self-doubt. Actually hours rather than moments, but ultimately...my love for writing and desire to be great, is far more powerful than the voice that tells me I'm no good.

Quoted because I'm quite the same way. But along with that, I give myself permission to write crap. It's okay to write crap. Looking back on old stuff though, I find a lot of good that I couldn't see when I was in the process of writing it. I think it's important to also take some time away from the ms after the first draft before going in and determining what's crap and what isn't.

The Lonely One · Aug 2, 2009

I think we NEED to second guess ourselves a little. It's what makes us better. But floating around in a vacuum of our own mind is an easy way to let that doubt become overwhelming.

Perspective is an important facet of being self-critical. AW is one of those great tools at keeping perspective.

Doubt is normal, and sometimes you have to wallow in it just long enough to take a breath, then prove yourself wrong.

Libbie · Aug 3, 2009

LittleFlowerLei said:
(I don't know if this is the right place to put this, but maybe it is.)

Lately, I've been trying to work on the sequil to my currently finished product (Check my sig! ^_^ ) but I can't seem to get into it because I keep second-guessing if I can really write or not. It's getting to the point where I keep asking myself "Whats the point? I can't do it right anyway," and I really hate it.

How do you guys keep from second-guessing your abilities? and how do you keep yourself going even if you don't believe you can write at all?

I don't think you should keep from second-guessing yourself. It's very valuable to ask yourself -- often -- whether you can be better at what you're doing.

The trick is to learn how to turn the bad feeling of a self-critique into a positive, motivating invitation to learn more.

Next time you start to wonder whether you can do this well at all, ask yourself what specifically set off this chain of thought. Was it the way a sentence was phrased? Was it the nagging thought that maybe your story is too similar to another? Jot that idea down, and then start actively looking for ways to improve that aspect of your writing. Go into it with the attitude that this will be fun and challenging: You'll go on a little learning adventure, you'll do some exercises, and when you're finished with this particular excursion into self-betterment, you'll be a stronger, better writer. Then you'll find another area of your writing to improve.

So, I say, second-guess away! It's how you get better. And everybody can always get better.

bettielee · Aug 3, 2009

How do you guys keep from second-guessing your abilities? and how do you keep yourself going even if you don't believe you can write at all?

I fight with this demon all the time. Then I go back and read something really old. Really, really old. Sometimes... I'm like "damn! I'm good!" Then I read something I wrote two weeks ago and wanna strangle myself. Then I ready somthing I just wrote and think I can make it better. I'm just so confused... do I suck, do I rock, do I have promise? I guess its the hope I have promise and the love of my un-real estate that keeps me going.

Shadow_Ferret · Aug 3, 2009

I don't second guess myself while writing something. I second guess myself after it's written and the rejections start coming in.

Wayne K · Aug 3, 2009

I wrote two full pages of crap yesterday and have spun it into 1 1/2 pages of magic today. Okay, maybe magic is a strong word, but I'm writing again--that's big.

Mr. Anonymous · Aug 3, 2009

I second guess myself all the time.

Is this publish-worthy? Are YOU publish-worthy? Are you smart enough to be a writer? Are you intuitive enough to be a writer? Are you observant enough to be a writer? etc.

You're probably never going to get rid of those kinds of thoughts - but you do have control over whether those thoughts keep you from writing and pursuing publication.

The Lonely One · Aug 3, 2009

Mr. Anonymous said:
I second guess myself all the time.

Is this publish-worthy? Are YOU publish-worthy? Are you smart enough to be a writer? Are you intuitive enough to be a writer? Are you observant enough to be a writer? etc.

You're probably never going to get rid of those kinds of thoughts - but you do have control over whether those thoughts keep you from writing and pursuing publication.

So true. And it always seems the ones who are asking have correlating answers as follows: yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. etc.

Wayne K · Aug 3, 2009

Today I answer yes.

Wayne K · Aug 3, 2009

Am I there?

No.

Wayne K · Aug 3, 2009

Will I be?

Yes.

Second guessing yourself

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