10 Ways to
Avoid Writing Insecurity
Face
it. There are few things as intimidating as the blinding white of a
blank page.
It makes no difference if it's an empty sheet lying on our desk, or
a blank screen, aiming between our eyes. Defeating "nothing" by
subjecting it to "something" with our words is what gives a
writer breath.
Whether to pay our bills or please our muse, eventually words must
spill.
Here are ten tips to help plow past writing insecurity.
1.
Appreciate your unique perspective
No
one sees the world exactly like you, and no one can articulate it
in quite the same way. The oldest stories are told and then retold,
not because they invent new things to say, but because inside
a timeless message, each storyteller may weave a
million individual moments.
2. Writing
is conversation
The more we
speak, the more we understand the fundamentals. Writing is no
different. Most of the time, our brains operate on the surface,
doing only what must be done. We may adopt the push and pull of
conversation to push our voice further. Writing, much like
a good discussion, can help us dig a little
deeper.
3. Allow
your influences to shape your voice, not drown
it
Creativity
is borrowed. None of us formed our thoughts in a vacuum,
and all of us were subject to a myriad of different models.
Inspiration lives inside us, and our subconscious never forgets. We
need not copy our heroes, their hand is always there to guide
us.
4.
Believe
You can
do it! Fear is a set of handcuffs, keeping our fingers
from flight. If you don't believe in yourself, then no one else
will either.
5. Ignore
the rules
Rules can be
intimidating; intimidation a shortcut to
insecurity. You may not know precisely when to use a comma
and when to use parentheses, but that decision will never equal the
importance of a good idea. We first need broad strokes to lend
foundation. We wash our world in red, blue, yellow, and green.
Chartreuse and vermillion come later.
6. Write
for someone specific
Nothing will
crystallize your voice, like scribbling for a single set of eyes.
It doesn't matter who it is, and it doesn't have to be the same
person twice. Write as though you are speaking to
them. Design your jokes to make them smile, your words to
feel them near.
7.
Write without pause, return later
Alone
with our thoughts, it is easy to think the worst, but we should
never allow them to slow us down. When our inner
whisper begins to shout, we must lower our nose and keep on
going.
Once drained, leave. Return later, and you'll likely be surprised
at what you've written.
8. Take
pride
Our
words are simply a more permanent version of our thought. Be proud
of who you are, and know that what you write is a
reflection of you.
9. Even
Stephen King writes with his door closed
No
one gets it right the first time through. Just
start. Even if the world will be watching once you are
finished, no one is watching you now. Close the door, breathe the
silence, and let what's inside you come out to play.
10. Dip
your toe, then jump…the water's fine
The first
keystroke is always the hardest, but begetting something
from nothing is what separates us from the lower species. Pushing
past our fear and into uncertainty, is when we're most likely to
find ourselves.
Happy
Writing!
Reference / Image
Credits:
Sean
Platt
1. Copyblogger
2. Ben
Chilada
3. Zach
Manchester
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