Self-Love for Writers

[rynling]

I’m going to be honest and admit that editing my work has become one of my least favorite activities. When I look back on my own writing, I literally cringe.

Someone needs to offer advice on self-love for writers. I routinely see any number of “Just keep making art! You’re doing fine! You improve every day!” posts circulating around Tumblr, but I never see anything specifically directed at writers. This is strange to me, since writing - and especially editing - is just as nerve-wracking and emotionally intense as visual art, and the immediate payoff (as measured in terms of notes) tends to be far less concrete.

I would offer to make a series of supportive posts myself… but I can’t promise that they would be well edited.

Comments

[lassarina]

For me a lot of it is comparing where I was years ago to where I am now: I can literally see the difference between then and now. (The pieces I'm editing currently were written over several years, so the changes are very obvious.)

Also remembering that every time I write, just like every time one draws, I put together words in different ways and try new things, and that sometimes those things fail, but I still learn from those. (My boss, at work, is very keen on "you learn more from messing up than succeeding" and as much as it's nerve-wracking and horrifying to screw up when I'm getting paid to do it correctly, her attitude helps take the edge off of it.)

[rynling]

I apologize for the late response, but I wanted to thank you for your wisdom here. You're absolutely right; it's only because we've improved that we notice the changes. Honestly I used to think my old writing was good, and this embarrasses the hell out of me.

(( I CAN'T WAIT TO READ YOUR NOVEL BTW. ))

[lassarina]

I used to post things without editing. *shudder* College me, you were a dumbass.

(In retrospect, it's not that I was terrible when I was younger; it's just that I'm better now. I try to cut past-me some slack. She was playing Ode to Joy; I'm trying to figure out Fur Elise.)

(ahhhh, thank you! I'm making strides! PROGRESS IS BEING HAD. Just, slowly.)