Most writers struggle with self-doubt at some point. This inner demon comes from a place of imposter syndrome. We know that we are capable of more and better. Our best work is always yet to be written. We are too hard on ourselves. So, below are some quotes from diverse authors to calm your inner dialogue.
“You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”
—Jodi Picoult
An important one to start with; set your perfectionism aside and simply write. First drafts are meant to be imperfect. Allow your soul to be vulnerable because it will give authenticity to your piece. Later, rewrite and polish.
“Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.”
Everything has beauty; even the darkness. Aristotle already told us in his work Poetics that corpses, painful in themselves, can be pleasant in art. Art, whatever the medium, is endowed with a sensitivity that turns the most horrible into beauty. If you are a writer of dark poetry or tales, don’t be afraid to show the beauty that resides within it.
“You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page.”
—Annie Proulx
Above all, a writer must love the craft of words. Do not think about how many people will like or dislike your writing; do it for the love of it.
“Tears are words that need to be written.”
—Paulo Coelho
This is a small quote that synthesizes an old and great idea—to use your melancholy to create. Channel your sadness and explore it through art. Let it be a reflection and a testimony of your being. Virginia Woolf said, “every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in his works.”
“Write the kind of story you would like to read. People will give you all sorts of advice about writing, but if you are not writing something you like, no one else will like it either.”
—Meg Cabot
When you are writing, do not write with others in mind. Do not question your passions and interests. Be true to who you are and to what you love the most. The point is to write what you love and love what you write.
“Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any.”
—Orson Scott
Every place has a hidden story waiting to be written. Paying attention to our surroundings is extremely crucial. Bring your everyday details into your pieces even if you’re writing fantasy or sci-fi or something else otherworldly.
Do not feel guilty when you are having a bad writing day. Everyone who writes has them. During such days, return to your favorite books with a cup of tea and roam in that beloved world. Remember that neither you nor your work is defined by challenging times.
