“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” ~Sylvia Plath
Given how Ms. Plath ended her life, there is a solemn overtone to that quote. Following yesterday’s post on the bravery of writing, I thought of the many things that keep us from putting words on the page. High on my list are the distractions of everyday life: Twitter (oh my friend, how I love thee), blogging, facebook, an occasional load of laundry. But the surest thing to stop your writing and chill the bravest heart, is the destructive power of self-doubt.
It sneaks in on the soft padding feet of a sentence that just won’t work. It pounds at the back of your mind as you struggle through the middle muddles of a novel. It blares from the pages of your latest critique.
How do you keep the demons of self-doubt at bay?
Sometimes I just have to treat writing as a job and keep showing up. I swear my hormones are the biggest factor in self-doubt, so I know the "I suck" phase will cycle around monthly and disappear in days.
Sometimes I don't keep the doubts at bay. Sometimes they howl in my face, claw at my heels and paralyze my form. Sometimes my mind freezes amidst the onslaught of a thousand "What ifs." At those times, I step aside and read over something that I've already written. Something very good that I've written. I try to crowd out the doubts, shoo them away. I endeavor to ignore them as nothing more than the worthless, self-defeating, crippling, vapors that they are. Some days I'm more successful at this than others.
@laurel My writer's doubt is fueled by the external swings of life (as well as the internal) – I know exactly what you mean! 🙂
@thomreese Hey! Thanks for stopping by! Keep shooing them away! I think allowing ourselves to have "good" and "bad" days is what lets us keep moving forward. 🙂
I call on friends, re-read Art and Fear (by Bayles and Orland) and do my best to get back to work. At a particularly down time while writing Hattie Big Sky, I heard a talk by YA author Randy Powell who said 8 words that became my mantra: you have to write through the bad stuff. Somehow it's a bit of a comfort to know it takes writing bad to get to good!
@Kirby It is so reassuring to hear that ("write through the bad stuff") from someone who has pushed through and has such success, as you have! Thank you for sharing. 🙂 And I will have to put Art and Fear on my TBR!
I try to "bubble" that emotion – not let myself think of or feel it. To let it in is dangerous, so work hard to keep it out. 🙂
It's hard! I thought having an agent would make it easier, but it makes it worse–like, now I have something I HAVE to live up to. I've found I rely on my CPs. They gladly threaten to fly to Cali and shave a stripe down the middle of my head if I don't start believing in myself. And I figure if they believe in me THAT much, maybe I can too. 😉
hahahah…I get over the self-doubt by reading something that TRULY sucks. Then I feel much better.
@Shannon Denial – the state I like to live in! 🙂
@Shannon You have some rockin' CP's there! I adore my crit group too – it's so important to have people have faith in you, even when you doubt it in yourself! 🙂 And I do think things get harder, not easier, once you've had some success – an agent, a book deal, another book deal. It just raises the stakes.
@MissV Ha! Love that. 🙂
I try to ignore it (mostly), I have times without it (rare), and I sometimes succumb to it. Then I write a post, get it out of my system, and feel better. And when I don't, the comments back are pretty helpful. Most of all, I try to keep in perspective, figuring even most successful writers don't walk around like John Travolta on the dance floor in Saturday Night Fever. Probably.
@Teresa Writing is one of those great leveling fields – I think the most accomplished writers still struggle, and have (generally) great sympathy for beginning writers. Def not John Travolta style awesome all the time! LOL 🙂
Love this post (and the previous one)!
I don't really have a good answer to this; I just try to make writing a habit; something I do whether I'm in a phase of confidence or self-doubt. Kind of like going to work. Or to the Y. Just do it. Even on the days when I don't think I'm ever going to achieve my desired results. I like Theresa's comment–the immediate gratification of blogging definitely helps!
@Ruth Thanks! BIC (Butt in Chair) is the best way to rouse from the doldrums, I agree. That or start a new story. But then, I'm kinda addicted to beginnings. 🙂
I was hoping you would have the answers! Rejections make those doubts seem like an absolute truth.
@Sherrie I think the answers are different for each person. Here's one take, from a published author, on how to deal with rejection (from Adventures in Publishing).