How to Keep Going When You're Pretty Sure You Suck
If you're a regular reader and fan, you may have noticed I'm not exactly a bastion of confidence. I know all writers struggle with doubt monsters and fear fairies, but I tend to think I'm more pathetic than average. At regular intervals (of approximately 28 days– go figure) I curl into a fetal position and quiver, thinking I'l never be able to create another halfway decent story. I'm not sure how many books I'll have to write before this stops. Ten? twenty? A hundred? Maybe that niggling doubt never completely goes away.
If so, I'm totally fucked.
The problem with moments of self-doubt is they make it really hard to get words written. And the words that do get written are…lackluster. As in, they lack any lust.
It's like this: Everyone has a friend who's super cool but has no self confidence. You go to a party with that person and he or she hunches, won't make eye contact, twitches and bites his/her nails. It's painful to watch this person.
Well, that's how my writing gets when I'm feeling mopey. My words become nervous, twitchy, self-conscious. Lame.
So how to regain the brass, sizzling, fun-loving-life-of-the-party words people might actually want to read? Well, alcohol comes to mind. But that's not a workable long term solution. So here are some things I do when fear and self-loathing threaten to drag me under.
1. Get my eyebrows waxed. It's one thing to be a sucky writer, it's anything thing entirely to be a sucky writer with a unibrow.
2. Exercise. Beef up muscle tone so when you beat yourself up it actually hurts.
3. Write something short. Brainstorming new story ideas clears the cobwebs out of the mind and makes room for thoughts to flow.
4. Take a break. I'm the queen of militant writing. I set daily word count goals and meet them pretty much all the time. But sometimes, a person really needs to to take a day off. The WIP will still be there when we get back.
5. Watch TV in the middle of the day. There's nothing so decadent as watching daytime television. Heaven!
6. Re-read old good reviews or contest wins. There's no shame in resting on your laurels! Drag that sack of laurels out and roll around in them. Not every day needs to be about accomplishing something. Some days should be about enjoying the things you've already accomplished.
7. Clean your house! You're not getting any writing done anyway– so you may as well mope in a better-looking home. Plus, you'll feel a lot better when the living room is vacuumed and the sink empty.
8. Send your draft to "that friend." You know who I'm talking about– that CP who always tells you everything you write is genius. That person exists to give you props when you need 'em. Appreciate that friend, love them, and send them your WIP to praise.
9. Try to fail. If you worry there's no way your WIP can be good, then write it trying to make it suck. Say every crazy ass thing that comes to mind. Make your characters belligerent, shallow, assholes. Have your characters do things no sane person ever would and react in ways that make no sense. Pour all your nutty, self-loathing ideas into your story. Later you may find a few gems.
10. Drink.
What do you do to tame the doubtasaurus? Tell me your tricks!
