The Doubt Gremlin

I’m in an eternal tug of war with myself. I tell myself constantly that I’m good enough, my writing is good enough, and this book is the one. But that doesn’t stop the little gremlin of self-doubt from sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.

See that guy up there? Isn’t he cute… yeah real cute… until you get him wet and feed him after midnight… then he turns into this guy….

Not so cute anymore is he? And this is exactly what happens when you aren’t diligent about your writing and keeping a positive attitude. It's exhausting. So you turn your back for one minute and the self-doubt gremlin is there rearing his ugly, little head right in your face. And all you want to do is curl up in a ball and cry. Because let’s face it, when you have a lot of ugly slapping you in the face, constantly mocking you, what is there left to do? 

And then you start asking what the point is and start throwing that Q word around… you know it, it’s a four letter word, and it seems like it would be a much easier path. 

But it’s not.

So what do you do when the gremlins start invading your head? 

You start thinking, re-evaluating, and literally driving yourself crazy. Maybe if I just edit this one more time or if I listen to that new person, or if I rewrite this whole chapter or if if if… And sometimes it works, and other times, you end up with this….

What is that? An ugly self-doubt gremlin in a dress? Well yes, but it’s more than that. It’s you trying to disguise your problem and cover it with a Band-Aid. It’s a temporary fix. You feel better for a short time, but then the gremlins are right there laughing in your face again. In fact, they are enjoying the show.

And how dare they! How can they laugh at you? That’s not cool! You don’t deserve that! You’re better than that.

Now you’re beyond the point of sad, you’re angry, like hulk smash angry! So you decide you’re going to do something about it.

You know you’re good enough and no one can tell you otherwise. You’re going to go out there and put your best foot forward. You’re going to keep going and keep pushing through until you get what you’ve been putting all that time and effort in for. 

Take a deep breath. 

Keep working the things you can control and don’t sweat the stuff you can’t. 

There that’s better isn’t it? 

And when this guy rears his crazy head again….

You’ll be ready for him. You’ll know how to fight back. You’ll laugh at him. Cause let’s face it, a gremlin in a tiara is pretty funny.  And what were we even worried about now?

Battling Writer's Block

We all have those times where we sit down to write and things just don't work out. We don't know what to say or we are stuck on a plot point or a character issue. But its how we deal with those times that help define us as writers.

Diagnose the problem
Figure out whats keeping you from writing and try to fix it. I know easier said than done in some cases, but if we know what's bothering us then sometimes we can come up with a solution and move on. Although other times the issue is bigger and we need time to clear our heads and really work through a solution. Its in those times that I really define myself as a writer. However, its almost always not in the way I expect. Its when I'm stuck on one problem, that a new idea usually presents itself. More often than not its completely unrelated but its exactly the distraction I need. It gets me going on something else and allows for my subconscious to deal with the issue behind the scenes. When the right solution presents itself, it bursts through loud and clear. Although, don't always expect a quick fix, sometimes the right answer can take days, weeks or even months.

Take a break
If its not working, don't force it. Usually a little distance helps the juices start flowing again. And when you take a break don't let your mind worry about the time you are "wasting". You aren't, in fact "wasting" any time, you are resting your mind. Only when your mind gets a true break, can it naturally flow back to the world of writing and the story you are telling.

Talk it out
The expression two heads are better than one holds true with writing. Writing is not a solo sport as much as a lot of people would like to believe. Talk through your issue with someone else. Sometimes the other person doesn't even have to say anything, and just hearing yourself talk through the plot or the characters presents the right answer. Other times its something the other person says that sparks an idea or possible solution. Don't keep your writing to yourself. It's okay to get help!

Stay positive
A positive attitude goes a long long way. Keeping your spirits up and being excited about your writing causes a chain effect. One good idea can start a spark and one spark is all it takes to cause a wildfire. Run with the ideas, get excited about them and keep writing.

Do what you need to do to keep moving forward
If you need validation get it, but do realize seeking criticism is a two way street. Not everyone is going to like everything you write and that's okay. Criticism will usually be constructive. Odds are you have a good idea but you may need help with execution, description, character development, point of view, you name it. No one is perfect and writers all need help with something. So don't beat yourself up over the criticism, use it as a guide to improve

Find inspiration wherever you can
Read the news or blogs, watch TV, read books, people watch. Whatever it takes. You never know where your next big idea is lurking. So if you're sitting around staring at your blank computer screen waiting for inspiration, odds are its not going to strike. Get out there and live your life, inspiration will find you.

The law of averages
Yes I'm an engineer and yes that sounds like math but its not entirely. I swear it applies to writing. So you had a bad day you only wrote five hundred words, or maybe two hundred or maybe even just one hundred. Or maybe you only wrote one single word. Hey you wrote something and that's more than you had yesterday. Don't sweat it though, because remember that day last week when you wrote two thousand? Or maybe tomorrow you'll have your best writing day yet. Tomorrow is always a new day and you never know what it might bring you. So if you only wrote five words today, at some point it will balance out with the thousands you write another day. Not everyday can give you the word count you hoped for. Some writing days are like Mondays and others are like Fridays. Take each day as it comes and let the numbers fall where they do. It all averages out in the end.

Don't let yourself get hung up on the right wording
The right words come but not always when you are writing a first draft. Don't let this stop your flow. If the right word or phrasing isn't coming, try a thesaurus. If you cant find it quickly, write down what you have and move on. Don't waste precious writing time on looking for the perfect phrase. You'll never find it that way. Wait until editing. You never know that sentence you spent hours trying to make perfect, might just get thrown out later. So don't sweat the details early on.

Whatever it is that's causing you to struggle with your writing, don't let it define you or take over. Take a deep breath, stare the beast in the eyes and tell it "you don't own me." Then go out there and have fun with it. We write because we feel. If nothing else turn this horrible experience into a small writing piece. Who knows one day you may look back at that piece you wrote at your low point and smile at how far you've come.