A Writer’s Worst Fear
Art By Larissa Mara @jacksbrokenheartt_
Writing is about understanding.
Doubts are inevitable, but whether you let them break you or make you, is completely up to you. Ultimately you are the one with the pen and paper. You write your own story — even if you have to rewrite it fifty times. The writing process is like one big question that you never have the answer to. It’s the fleeing of a flock of birds conserving energy for their next trip; it’s the opposite of success; it is all but easy. Rejection and fear of not being able to create content good enough for the readers are the two big concepts we go through as writers. And that’s not even accounting for writer’s block.
We always assume the worst when it comes to our writing and find it hard to remain confident. I have certain moments in which I feel that a piece I’ve written is one of the best of all, but most of the time it’s a question of confusion as to whether or not the piece will appeal to readers. I always used to say that I write for myself, I create content for myself but for others to have a look into, but writing is mostly about sharing and giving others an inside look of your brain. I write because it is what I love to do, I write because it makes me happy, I write because writing is the best way to control my thoughts and feelings in a simple way. Writing is about understanding.
There are many levels to writing which happens to be the most confusing part. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, fixing of sentences, paraphrasing — all things that make a writer crazy but also maintain sanity. The more we research, the more we learn. I wanted to break down the writing process in a format that would make it more understanding to aspiring writers, and although I’m not as wise as of most the writers I look up to (Charles Bukowski, Allen Ginsberg, Elizabeth Gilbert, Margaret Atwood, etc.), I wanted to write about what I have learned throughout the years so others can learn from one writer to another because we all need a little help along the way.
Read lots of books. This is always number one. As a reader, you can get inspiration from many books that will withstand your writing. Study the grammar and punctuation from the books you’re reading and take plenty of notes! I recommend breaking punctuation and grammar into two separate sections and while you’re reading, just write down things you didn’t know presiding to grammar/punctuation. Reading can also help you discover develop your own writing style using bits and pieces from other writers.
Write. Everything. Writing everything you feel or think will help you expand your mind, believe it or not. Personal writing is the most touching, but don’t always write from a personal point-of-view, unless otherwise noted.
Bring your notebook/journal everywhere. In doing this, you’ll find that your surroundings are more inspiring than you thought. Don’t try to edit your thoughts. Write down whatever you see, feel, think. Fix any errors later.
Understand what you’re reading. Take breaks within reading and write down (if you have to) what you just read about. It personally helps me to do so. If you’re more of a visual reader, then you’ll be just fine.
These four rules help me write better and I’m sure it will help other aspiring writers as well. I also don’t want to forget to include that traveling instils more inspiration in your mind! Taking the train, road-tripping, and traveling overseas gives enough inspiration to write a novel. I hope this helped writers understand the writing process a little more thoroughly. Writing is never easy. If you feel it, though, keep it and make it into something special. Your writing is special. Don’t give it up because of one piece you think isn’t good enough. Keep. On. Writing.