One of the main problems you may face as a writer is standing up to your inner critic. Being overly self-critical can be very dangerous; stopping you dead in your tracks. It is all too easy to tell yourself to give up, that there is no point, that you will never get anywhere.
But saying things like this to yourself is untrue and the kiss of death to your creative spirit!
So how do you control your inner critic and learn how to shut it down when it is threatening to ruin your writing career? Here are some examples of what it might say, and exactly how to respond.
‘You’ll never be as good as [insert name of your favorite author)’. We can’t help but compare ourselves to authors who have been and gone, ones who’ve had successful and seemingly effortless writing careers, whose fans adore them, who are praised by the media and their peers, who win awards and make millions. Of course, there are going to be writers out there who are more successful than you, but this shouldn’t stop you from writing. Nor should it give you any reason to think that you can’t be that successful too.
There is no one right way to write, many different authors have become successful for various reasons. Write for your audience and yourself and know that you are unique, your stories are written just the way they should be and comparing yourself to others will get you exactly nowhere.
‘Your book will be a flop.’ Your self-critic will always try to make you feel like a failure and will fill your head with thoughts of giving up.
Don’t let it win.
Your inner critic has many tricks up its sleeve. They’ll range from petty insults to targeting your biggest fears and insecurities. However, knowing how to respond, to shut it down and feel positive about your writing will only help spur you on to become a better more productive and more exciting writer.
So whatever you do stand up to your inner critic, and never let it stop you from writing!
“A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking.” Unknown
“It’s okay that I am a little strange, I’m a writer.” Satine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the home page, enter your email address. Watch for more interviews with authors. March-Apr: Joshua Hood, author of ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE TREADSTONE RENDITION April: Author, H.W. ‘Buzz’ Bernard, May: Victoria Costello. June: Laila Ibrahim
A few BOOKS BY TRISHA SUGAREK
When publishers turn down one of my books, I immediately self-publish it! After all, the publisher is not basing their decision on whether it is a well-written story and whether people should read it. They are basing their decision on whether it will make any money for the publisher. I can’t really fault them for that…they are, after all, in business.
You’re a great writer.
I love this wonderful graphic (by Sudio Sudarsan) of a ‘writer’s ice berg’. Not many people, aside from we who write, know this world. It’s lonely, scary, humiliating, and painful. It’s also uplifting, soul filling, mind-stretching and wonderful.
‘One of the most common questions that novice writers ask me is “How do you overcome writer’s block?” I would define
When characters stroll into your story….LET THEM! A little while back, I completed an interview with FreshFiction.com and was relating to the interviewer that several characters had walked into my story (Song of the Yukon) quite unexpectedly. I welcomed them in. It happens to me frequently. They contribute interesting tributaries to my main story stream. Even though I had to stop and do some extra research, it was so WORTH IT!
the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap.’~~George Bernard Shaw
How to Love Not Hate Rewrites
I just finished reading a good story with interesting characters. The story plot was strong. Unfortunately, the author “furrowed” the brow of many, if not all, the characters. This word, used repeatedly, finally became an inevitable distraction. It’s okay for a writer to furrow a brow occasionally but mix it up. There are many synonyms: wrinkled, creased, crumpled, lined, wrinkly, rutted, crinkly, puckered, crinkled, rumpled, crushed. 
Okay, your first attempt at creative writing is finished. In your journal or notebook or in a password-protected file on your laptop, your first completed story awaits you. Now, what are you going to do with it? You can’t possibly let anyone read it! What if they laugh and it’s not a comedy? What if it’s met with poorly hidden scorn? Or when they read the last page, what if they look up, their eyes filled with pity…for you.
Plot: I am currently finishing my newest novel, and I have to tell you, the loosely built plot that I had envisioned when I began it quickly went by the wayside. Way, way off the road and into the forest, in fact. About halfway through, the characters took me on a journey, making their own decisions, loving who they want to love, and building their lives their way. When this happens to me, I welcome their storyline in…they know much better than I do at that point. My characters write a better story than I ever could.