Writers are masters of excuses. We come up with all sorts of awesome reasons we should do be doing everything but writing. If most of us were half as good at writing as we are at excusing ourselves, the world be blessed with landslides of great literature. Today, let’s consider some of our most common writing excuses, when they’re true, when they’re not, and how to get past them.
1. I have no talent.
Is it true? Maybe so, maybe no. But the will to write is more important than any amount of talent. Commitment is more important than talent. Determination is more important than talent.
Smash it! Although it’s important to realistically assess your skill level, what’s more important is having the guts and grit to keep at it, keep learning, keep improving. Talent isn’t what ultimately matters in this game.
2. The odds of being published are too high.
Is it true? The odds are high these days. Traditional houses are hurting, and they’re taking less risks as a result. On the other hand, independent publishing gives any writer the opportunity of seeing his work in print, but seeing it sell and sell well is still a long shot.
Smash it! In the immortal words of Han Solo, “Never tell me the odds!” Agented writers are being signed to fat traditional contracts and indie authors are selling thousands of copies every single day. Yeah, the odds are high. But they’re only impossible if you never give the game a go.
3. I’m too exhausted/stressed/wired.
Is it true? Are you exhausted, stressed, wired, pained, or feeling less than physically perfect? Probably. Are you too exhausted, stressed, wired, or pained to write? Probably not.
Smash it! If you let your body or your emotional state rule your life, you’ll never get anything done. Writing ain’t for wimps. If you’re serious about writing, you have to buck up, sit down, and write on through your discomfort.
4. Taking time to write makes me feel guilty.
Is it true? Your feeling of guilt is undoubtedly real. But whether it’s justified is another question altogether.
Smash it! If you choose to make writing a priority, you will inevitably have to give up other things. Sometimes those things will be important. But once you’ve made the decision to devote a certain amount of your day to writing, don’t allow yourself to be guilted out of it. If you don’t treat your writing like a priority, it won’t be.
5. Fiction offers nothing of value to the world.
Is it true? Absolutely not. Art, in all its forms, is the expression of humanity. It is the record of our lives. It is the exploration of the deep and never-ending questions of our existence. It is our soul-deep communication with one another. Writing changes lives.
Smash it! Just because fiction is entertainment doesn’t mean it has to have an empty-calorie effect on the world. When you sit down at the computer and start typing, you’re wielding untold power. Use it responsibly, use it honestly—and never discount it.
6. People will ridicule my writing and me as a writer.
Is it true? Perhaps. Non-writers often have a difficult time understanding what we do and why. Some people will scorn your work for any number of reasons (which can include their own ignorance and insecurity).
Smash it! One of the chief requirements of surviving as a writer is a thick skin. If you’re worried about what people think, become a roofer. Hard knocks come with the business. Learn to smile and let the bitter words roll right off you.
7. Writing is too hard.
Is it true? Writing is hard, no question. Sometime it’s bone-bustingly, mind-numbingly, soul-wrenchingly hard.
Smash it! Watch out for that word “too.” Spelled backwards and spoken out of the side of your mouth, it means you’re giving up out of weakness and laziness. When the going gets tough, gird your loins and battle on through. It’s the only way to make it—in writing and in life.
8. My life is too boring to provide interesting material.
Is it true? Sitting at a computer eight hours out of the day doesn’t generally lend itself to wild life experiences. Not all writers can (or want to) live life on the edge.
Smash it! The tortured author stereotype is just that. You’re not limited to writing what you know, only what you can imagine—and that goes for life experiences as much as anything.
9. I need to learn more about how to write.
Is it true? Probably. There’s always more to learn. No one masters an art form. Even were you to prove prodigy enough to master all the variables of the craft, the very nature of art means it’s always evolving. Every book you write is going to be a new adventure, full of new trials.
Smash it! Although studying the craft is important, it’s no replacement for on-the-job experience. The best way to learn how to write a book is to write one. Keep reading those how-to books, but don’t let that keep you from hammering the keyboard.
10. There are too many distractions.
Is it true? Life is full of distractions. The dog needs to go outside. The kids need to be fed. The day job needs to be tended to. Sometimes it all gets to be so overwhelming, all you want to do is scream.
Smash it! Did you notice that “too” word again? Sometimes we can’t control the distractions in our lives. But we can control our responses to them. Set up personal boundaries, write schedules, or, better yet, learn to write right on through the distractions.
There are always going to be moments and circumstances that intrude on our writing with an inexorable force we can’t ignore. But, most of the time, the only thing keeping us from our writing is ourselves. Excuses are like termites. Give one or two the opportunity to thrive, and before you know it, they’ll have eaten through the very foundation of your determination and creativity. Grab the bug spray and the flyswatter, and start smashing!
Photo Credit
Photo Courtesy Of K.M. Weiland
First published on Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors
Recent K.M. Weiland Articles:
- Your Secret Weapon Against Story Coincidences
- Why the Reader Is Your Co-Writer
- Top 10 Sentence Slip-Ups
- How to Figure Out the Worst Thing That Can Happen to Your Character
- Motivation-Reaction Units: Cracking the Code of Good Writing
Very Awesome. Numbers 9 and 10 especially hit home. Thank-you KM.