Writing Fear Free: Expecting Too Much Too Soon

At some point in the writing process, most people go through a period when they think one or more of the following:

  1. I am the worst writer in the world.
  2. This is the worst book in the world.
  3. I should probably give up and become a cowgirl.

I hit this point in the writing process this weekend, and I realized that these feelings were largely due to the fact that I was expecting too much too soon.

Now, maybe all writers aren’t like me, but my writing process relies heavily on editing. By the time my novel is finished, it will have gone through seven or more drafts. I’m currently on draft three, but I was expecting it to be perfect.

So I’m writing this to remind all you writers to ask yourself good questions when you start to feel overwhelmed and frustrated. Where are you in the process? Are you expecting too much too soon?

Just take a little break. Time away will give you a fresh perspective, and when you come back, you will have a better sense of what you should be expecting at that particular stage of your writing process.

6 thoughts on “Writing Fear Free: Expecting Too Much Too Soon

  1. You can rest easy, Jennifer, since you can’t possibly be the worst writer in the world, because I’ve already claimed the title! Seriously, I know just how you feel. It’s like a switch flipped, one minute the writing seems fine, then suddenly it sounds pedestrian, dull, and lifeless. The good thing is that often when I come back later, it sounds much better. 🙂

  2. I was there a couple of weeks ago with my novel writing process. I’m glad that professional writers suffer from this too. 😀 Thanks for sharing Jennifer.

  3. Sometimes when I’m having a horse problem, I feel like I should just give up and become a hermit. Maybe even write that book I’ve been dreaming about… I think no matter what we do, we all have those moments when our confidence turns to “Did I seriously think I could do this? What was I thinking?” Hang in there chick!

  4. So true! Thanks for putting it down in writing. I’m just about to begin a new project, but I’m torn between one I’ve already started and one that keeps going through my mind. Then there’s the part of me that says – Do I really want to go through this again? Plus there’s the book that is being editted by a friend that I will soon get back and have to work through again! Sigh. But writing certainly has it’s moments of bliss:)

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