Has anyone out there ever had a crisis of confidence? For some reason I'm looking at my work and thinking 'I can't do this.' This feels quite strange as I can usually get enthusiastic about my writing, now I'm not sure anymore. Help.
Has anyone out there ever had a crisis of confidence? For some reason I'm looking at my work and thinking 'I can't do this.' This feels quite strange as I can usually get enthusiastic about my writing, now I'm not sure anymore. Help.
Everyone gets this, Elsie.
What we all forget is that writing is our way of going to the office, except that we carry our office inside us. We are the entire staff of that office; we're doing all the work. We have no-one to bounce ideas off, no-one to say, 'Hey, that's a good job you're doing there' or 'Take a break, you're overthinking this', or 'How about approaching this from a different angle?'
In every office job, there's a point where you want to just pick up your coat and walk out. We can't do that, but we can still feel the urge.
It's a lonely job, and it's unique to each of us. We can't hand the project, half-finished, over to someone else and take a fortnight off. When we do have a rest, we'll come back to the same place as we left it.
Sometimes we think, 'What's it all for? No-one's going to read this anyway.' Think how many people on here have read and commented on your work; read over those posts again, and consider whether they are negative or positive. I believe they are all on the plus side.
Furthermore, I believe in your work, Elsie. So do Clare and Steve. You have a voice, and a story that wants to be told. It's a very human, caring, involved voice, and we all like it very much. You've got us empathising with Elsa, and dreading that her father will let her down, and so forth: that means that you have reached us with your words.
The task of writing a novel is enormous, and no-one but another writer will ever understand how daunting it is. It's the equivalent of saying you're going to build a house, starting with no experience, one brick, and sketchy plans, single-handed. Crisis of confidence? It's practically guaranteed!
Take heart: you're not alone, and it's perfectly acceptable to have doubts. I think it makes us better writers, actually, to question ourselves.
Good luck!
Lorraine
Hi Elsie.
Crisis of confidence is the writers curse, a common occurrence - known as the writers reward. Why put yourself through such a long, exhausting, mind-bendingly hard ordeal consisting of many head-scratching moments, if one wasn't possessed by a demon inside which urged us to write.
Ignore the demons that that gnaw at your mind with haunting whispers of doubt. Refuse to be gripped with fear of failure. Try, fail. Fail again. Fail better. Never give up. It's the courage to continue that counts.
Believe in your ability.
Welcoe to the club