Getting Over Writer's Doubt.

panda · Oct 1, 2009

Writer's Doubt (noun): The excessive worrying that what you've written is complete and utter crap.
Not to be confused with
Writer's Block (noun): of or pertaining to the staunched flow of words.

Ok, so you've written the first page and your pen pauses mid-sentence. It dawns on you this is complete crap, no one will ever read. Your trash bin may even regurgitate the stuff you've written.

So, what do you do to stay your hand from crumpling that bit of paper? (Or ctrl,alt,deleting if you're typing lol) What motivates you to finish a novel? How do you cope with Writer's doubt?

bettielee · Oct 1, 2009

I am not being flippant:

I keep writing. I think I try to keep it going so fast my doubts don't have time to argue.

However, if you have a couch going with writer's full of writer's doubt, please move over and save me a seat.

Arkie · Oct 1, 2009

panda said:
Writer's Doubt (noun): The excessive worrying that what you've written is complete and utter crap.
Not to be confused with

So, what do you do to stay your hand from crumpling that bit of paper? (Or ctrl,alt,deleting if you're typing lol) What motivates you to finish a novel? How do you cope with Writer's doubt?

Sometimes it helps to give it to a reader and ask if it makes sense.

Darzian · Oct 1, 2009

SYW tells all

RG570 · Oct 1, 2009

It comes back to the million words of crap thing.

If you don't continue writing when it feels like crap, you can't get better.

It's not coping per se, but it helps to get through a project.

Rolling Thunder · Oct 1, 2009

I agree with those who advise you to keep writing, rewriting and editing.

panda · Oct 1, 2009

RG570 said:
It comes back to the million words of crap thing.

If you don't continue writing when it feels like crap, you can't get better.

It's not coping per se, but it helps to get through a project.

You're right, I just need to trudge through.

cherubsmummy · Oct 1, 2009

I don't cope well at all. I am currently reading "The Courage to Write - How Writers Transcend Fear", by Ralph Keyes. It is alleviating my self loathing.

panda · Oct 1, 2009

Thanks for the book rec, will check out.

blacbird · Oct 1, 2009

Arkie said:
Sometimes it helps to give it to a reader and ask if it makes sense.

I imagine it could help quite a lot if the reader happened to be an editor who would say, "Yes, we'll accept this for publication."

caw

Rowan · Oct 1, 2009

panda said:
Writer's Doubt (noun): The excessive worrying that what you've written is complete and utter crap.
Not to be confused with
Writer's Block (noun): of or pertaining to the staunched flow of words.

Ok, so you've written the first page and your pen pauses mid-sentence. It dawns on you this is complete crap, no one will ever read. Your trash bin may even regurgitate the stuff you've written.

So, what do you do to stay your hand from crumpling that bit of paper? (Or ctrl,alt,deleting if you're typing lol) What motivates you to finish a novel? How do you cope with Writer's doubt?

I agree with those who said keep writing. Speaking only for myself: first drafts are always crap. I tend to write really fast and when I start to edit there are portions that don't even make sense (oh, the dialogue :Shrug:

). I throw caution to the wind when I'm writing the first draft because if I stopped every time I thought something was really bad I'd never get anywhere. It's when you start to edit that your WIP really starts to shine!

errantruth · Oct 1, 2009

I'm too busy to doubt. It doesn't have a place in the process. I abandon everything but the pleasure of the chase, of the story, of the process of creation.

All energy, all creation, all focus. All conscious thought on the story, on catching it. Not on myself.

Ruv Draba · Oct 1, 2009

If you don't know whether your writing is crap, it probably is. (The reverse however is not true. :tongue

)

Assuming that your current writing's crap, then what?

panda · Oct 1, 2009

Make it not crap???

I think there was a spell for this in Harry Potter, Alohomora. No, wait that was for opening doors lol.

Rowan · Oct 1, 2009

panda said:
Make it not crap???

I think there was a spell for this in Harry Potter, Alohomora. No, wait that was for opening doors lol.

Edit the crap out of it, Panda. Your problem sounds more like a lack of confidence and not a lack of ability. Don't give up! Never give up.

panda · Oct 1, 2009

Rowan said:
Edit the crap out of it, Panda. Your problem sounds more like a lack of confidence and not a lack of ability. Don't give up! Never give up.

Sweet of you to say.

And to add to your discerning psychological insight yeah I need to work on the confidence thing. But I'll keep writing. Thanks

Amarie · Oct 1, 2009

I'd actually worry more if a writer said they never doubted their work. You just have to realize doubt is part of the process.

t.c.laing · Oct 1, 2009

When I read the title of this topic I thought "I don't think that's possible." And in truth Writer's Doubt probably isn't something you can get over, even for published writers (not having been published I'm speculating here

), unless of course you give up writing altogether - then the point is moot.

I write stuff I think is brilliant at the time, then go back and edit to death. Sometimes I flip back and forth, making multiple edits only to put back the original stuff. Or I write stuff I think is awful, but then it turns out to be one of my beta reader's favorite parts. I'm beginning to think writers naturally have a certain amount of obsessive-compulsive behavior balanced by gritty determination.

kaitlin008 · Oct 1, 2009

Melia said:
I'd actually worry more if a writer said they never doubted their work. You just have to realize doubt is part of the process.

Agreed.
If I'm feeling like everything that's coming down onto the page is crap, sometimes I try switching to a different scene and then come back to what I was doing before. Or just plug slowly through. And remind myself that, ultimately, I write because I love to, and while I hope someday it will be validated, I'll still love writing even if I'm never published.

Libbie · Oct 1, 2009

Tell the voice to STFU and keep going. Everybody doubts the quality of their work at one point or another (even me, and I'm infamous for my confidence in myself.) The people who successfully complete their works in progress are the people who soldier on anyway.

Once you've finished your draft, find a few good betas to help you make it better. Undoubtedly some of it will be crap -- there's crap in every draft, even drafts written by your favorite authors. It'll be weeded out later, after you've had some betas read it and give you feedback.

By the way, a good beta will tell you what you're doing right in addition to what you're doing not-so-right. It always helps silence the voice when you hear some praise.

Serious Desi · Oct 1, 2009

When I realize I've written total crap I go into denial about it.
Then I go into writer's block for a day.
And then I force myself to continue writing.

It's only the first draft. ( Or the second, or the third...when I get into the double digits I think that might really bother me.)

I think all you can do is keep writing. You never know, maybe a month later you'll come back to that crap scene or line and find that it really wasn't so bad.

Hugs

Shail · Oct 1, 2009

I transfer my frustration to a physical object. I keep an ugly doll that I named "Doubt and Fear" and I look at her and yell "You can't make me stop. I'll write whatever I want and fix it later." That usually works. If not, I toss her across the room. That almost always works.

thewakingself · Oct 1, 2009

What I do? Angst and flail and generally be a temperamental, self-loathing, self-flagellating artist about the situation.

THEN. Then I have a trusted beta read it. Who invariably pets me on the head just before kicking me in the arse and tell me to effing suck it up already and get on with it.

Keep on keepin' on. It's typical. If you stop doubting your work... it's like doubting your crazy. When you stop is when you should worry.

Priene · Oct 1, 2009

I'm teaching myself to write slowly, and to make sure each sentence I write is at least an acceptable standard. It doesn't mean it won't be edited to death as well, but it does stop me binning everything as soon as I look at it.

Katrina S. Forest · Oct 1, 2009

I try to keep writing. If I'm enjoying writing the story, even when I think it's crap, usually there ends up being something salvageable in the work. However, if it gets to a point where I don't even want to write it anymore (after many attempts to get back into it), I may take it as a lesson that XYZ didn't work, and move onto something else.

In either case, I don't believe any piece of writing is ever wasted. Anything you write helps you to grow as a writer, whether it ultimately becomes published or ultimately lines the inside of a trash can.

Yes, successful authors do go through this. So say the NaNoWriMo pep talks, anyway. ^_^

imo, the important thing is to never doubt yourself as a writer. You can doubt the piece you're working on, it may ultimately need the ax, but trust that you will pick yourself up and write something better.

Getting Over Writer's Doubt.

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