Many writers, especially unpublished ones, are far too critical of their own work. Yes, I too am guilty of this often. Its like an impulse that writers feel, a constant nagging in their brain that continuously tells them Your Writing Will Never Be Good Enough. There is no magic trick to make this self-doubt go away, it rests in many writers. I have yet to meet one that was not critical of their work. The ones that were not critical were ones who thought they were they greatest thing since Hemingway, and often their writing tended to be very poor. My point is, its not a bad thing to be self-critical. Yes, when taken too far it can be a detriment to a creative mind. Yet, those writers who write in a bubble, who never second-guess their words or allow others to second-guess them, will never grow creatively and will always be remembered as the guy who thought his shit didnt stink. Never be afraid of that critical voice inside you. Some of the greatest writers ever, Poe, Hawthorne, Melville, Hemingway, Steinbeck, and even my personal favorites like HP Lovecraft and Stephen King were all self-critical of their work. Lovecraft, for example, never uttered a single kind word about his own writing. He though almost everything he wrote was never good enough, and yet today he is remembered as one of the godfathers of the modern horror genre. The trick is to keep writing, keep reading, and always listen to those critical voices both inside and out. Those voices will help you hone and expand your ability, while locking your writing away and denying criticism only causes potential to fossilize. So, for my fellow aspiring writers out there, do not let your inner and outer criticisms get in the way of your writing. You will perhaps find, one day, that those voices perhaps helped push to to become one of the worlds greatest authors. Embrace your inner critic, and always keep reading and writing my friends.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 23:03:35 +0000
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