So I’ve come up with my own version of a Writers seven deadly sins. Especially since I seem to be stumbling over so many of them on my way to ‘fame & fortune’. *cough cough*
This week I’m talking about Self Doubt. You know the one I’m talking about. The one we cling to in our hours of weakness. Lot of fun. Nothing better than spending hours, weeks, months of your life so wrapped up inside the small worlds of your creation that you forget about the real one. The one that hits you in the gut at 3am and edges its seedy way into your dreams like a poison…it’s not good. No one will like it. It’s plotless. It’s boring. It’s been done…
Wanna know what I think about that? I think BITE ME YOU SEEDY B!TCH. Yup that’s right! I am the master of my domain, faults and misgivings, the good and the bad and all of it. Doubting yourself is natural, but caving into fear, choosing to dwell in it rather than push forward, is weak. Don’t choose to be weak. Don’t choose to let others have power over you, and don’t choose to allow fear to compromise your talent. Be bold!
IF YOU LOVE IT, WRITE IT.
And let the Gods have at it when you’re done.
Tammy’s Tip of the Week
Make the best out of the insults, and distrust the praise.
We all like people to love our stuff and blow smoke up our butts, but at the end of the day it’s the ones who criticize us that push us to excel. When people stop telling you how you can be better at what you do, find some new people.
Tammy E. A. Crosby 
Wonderful advice, Tammy!
I am better than some writers, and worse than others. We are all at different stages of the journey.
I read a superb novel last year, THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN, that almost made me quit writing. After reading it, I thought, “I have no business being a writer.” I actually stopped writing for a while until one of my loving friends kicked me in the ass and told me to get over it.
As a writer I don’t totally suck, and I’ll probably never be super great. But I am a good writer, people enjoy my work, I will improve the more I write, and so I continue. It’s all any of us can do.
That author had to start somewhere too, and I’m guessing it wasn’t a perfect beginning for them either. 😉
On the other side of that is over confidence – I’ve seen that a lot and it can be just as horrible as self-doubt – no growth can happen if you think you’re perfect. There needs to be a good balance btw the two. You’re right though – I totally mistrust the praise (sometimes so much so that I undermind myself). The only one I really trust is my agent – I figure that although she is biased (she is my agent after all) she won’t blow smoke up my ass.
Hey now you’re just skipping ahead to sin number 2! 😉 lol!
I’m guilty of a few things but I’ve had a few interesting idea’s recently that I need to get down on paper. Thanks for the encouragement.
I had a massive case of the doubts just a couple days ago. Fortunately these days it usually doesn’t stick around for all that long. Good for you for getting a handle on it 🙂
You hit home with this one Tam! I felt it, and I’m over it, and I hope I don’t let it happen to me again.
I’m humble enough and still a new writer so people can still hurt me with harsh words, bad intentions that are hidden in crafty words all meant to cause more harm than good.
I’m learning to sift through them now, but a good critique will tell me the good and bad and it’s the only way I know how to improve, other than to just keep writing.
Like Angela said though, it’s also bad when someone is overconfident. I have a long way to go and don’t think I’ll ever reach that point.
Feeling my work is ‘good enough’ and someone wants to read it means a lot to me right now.
Thanks for the kick in the ass. You’re a valuable and genuine friend. And your advice is always well taken and right on! 🙂
Fantastic post, Tammy. Self-doubt is something we all struggle with and I love your advice!
LOL, totally.
I get that self doubt thing all the time.
I still wrote it. Hey guess what… it’s getting published 🙂
*hugs*
Julie/Firewolf