Let me start this post by saying that there are no secrets to being a writer. To be a writer is to write. Writing how and when depends on every individual.
The craft of writing is hard like any other craft. You have to do it consistently.
I want to write about my writing in the last six-to-eight months. It had not been consistent. Yes, life happens. I’ve been writing, just not enough consistently. Somewhere I feel the frustration that my writing has suffered and it is not going anywhere.
I also do not have a feedback loop other than putting my writing out there on the internet. I have published a couple of books, still in the process of finishing my novel. But there is still a doubt. A crippling doubt that raises its head once in a while and tells me that I am a terrible writer.
Every time I sit down to write and start writing, every word will scream at me and tell me it’s not the right word. I must change, I must edit. That voice can make anyone handicapped.
I have been writing for close to eight years now, but nothing has changed. The doubt, the joy, the frustration, the excitement, the process. Everything is still the same.
I enjoy writing every moment. I hate every moment when I am not writing.
Doubt is a danger
Every writer feels doubt. Select few might not. But doubt is always there. It’s also dangerous. If you look at doubt as a good thing, then you should continue to write and improve your writing. If you see doubt as a bad thing, it can cripple you from writing.
Frustration is real
There will be days and nights when you will hardly make any progress. Even if you write, you will constantly question if your writing is getting any better. It will frustrate you, and force you to stop writing. At last, you need to think in the long term and not focus on the result, but on the process only.
Keep going
Do not stop. Keep writing. Keep evolving. Doubt and frustration are part of the process. Everyone can have a bad day. You can literally write rubbish, sit on it and throw it away the next day. Nobody will care. You as a writer will care for every word, even if it is bad writing. Don’t worry, keep going and write. Bad writing is a reminder that this was never meant to be easy. Good writing will only appear if you let go of bad writing.
Observe and Read carefully
Read. Read as much as possible from various sources. Observe what you read. Observe your own emotions with that reading. Understand how the other writers are able to create that effect. A good writer is a good reader. And a good reader is a good observer. A good observer is able to reflect. Reflection about what you have read is a way to notice the words, the feelings, the stories, and the characters.