Hating What You Write is Totally Normal

Or it better be or I'm screwed

Hey friends,

Instead of a gift guide or thread of what we’re thankful for, I’m doing a Real Talk TM writing post today because I am IN IT rn with what I’m writing. I started a new novel and frankly, I HATE IT. I don’t want to work on it and it’s like pulling teeth most mornings to open the damn file. Writing is supposed to be fun, right?????

Well, maybe not for me right now. Maybe it is always fun for you and that’s great and I love that for you, but a lot of us experience a period where we feel everything we write is trash and there’s no hope in making it better. From my experience, that’s totally normal and it sucks very much!

What I have learned over the last 20 some odd years of taking my writing at least half-way seriously (post grad school and not accounting for my years as a young agent absolutely scrambling for work and money) is that this feeling is normal and it will eventually fade or you at least get used to it. The voice that tells you everything is trash is lying!! Some of what you’re writing might be trash, but that’s what editing is for! EVERYTHING you’re doing is unlikely to be trash. That’s just statistically improbable, probably!

My plan for this period of my writing life is to just keep writing. I like my idea, so there’s that, but day to day, I’m just going to keep putting words on the page. I am going to remind myself that all first drafts are shitty first drafts and that’s what editing is for. No time spent actually writing, no matter how productive or not, is wasted time, and this feeling of being all trash is just a feeling, not reality. I’m also going to cut myself some slack and make sure I’m getting enough sleep, because tbh being tired makes EVERYTHING look like trash, not just my writing. It’s hard to remember these things when the feelings take over, but with enough practice, it gets easier. Right now I’m getting A LOT of practice.

If this is you right now, just know you are not alone. It’s ok. Your work is not trash. Neither is mine.

Take care, loves. Don’t give or receive Coronavirus this holiday season—wear a mask.

XOXOXOXO,

Kate