4 Lies We Tell Ourselves About Writing

Writing is sometimes a win/lose endeavor.

You win some days while you may lose others.

or

You win some days with great bursts of creative energy and you lose some days when you feel burnt out and don’t think you can add a single word to your document if you tried.

Our brains are sometimes these hideous beasts that crawl onto our shoulders when we’re not looking and whisper lies into our ears when it comes to our writing.

Here are the four most common lies your brain just might be telling you when it comes to writing.

**“I’m Not Good Enough”**

This may be the first lie your brain tells you when it comes to your writing.

You see all these other writers and authors thriving while you feel as if you’ve been stuck in cement while they continue to stroll on past.

We all have these days and I myself suffer from it when I log on to this app and see these authors with thousands of followers and I’m lucky if I make it through the week without losing any.

Comparing ourselves to others can create self-doubt in our own abilities. The truth is that we need to stop chasing perfection and comparing ourselves to others who may be on the same journey but it doesn’t mean they have taken the same path. You may be facing speed bumps now while they’re riding a smooth highway, but you never know what they’ve faced getting where they are either.

Embrace your strength and focus on your own growth without comparing it to others.

**“I Need to Wait for Inspiration”**

No. No and triple no.

There is no such thing as waiting for inspiration like the creative fairy is going to come down and bop you on the head with a fantastic story idea.

This only happens to a select for and more often than not it’s either at 3 am when they don’t want to turn on a light to write it down, or they’re in the middle of a shower and forget it by the time they’ve toweled off.

You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go out in find it in the world around you, in the shows you watch, and most importantly in the books you read. An active mind is the one that has the best imagination.

**“Writing Should Be Easy”**

Whoever first told you this or gave you that idea probably had a link at the bottom of the page selling you their writing course to let you know just how easy it is.

Writing can come easy to some, but for most, it requires dedication to keep going, persistence when all you want to do is quit, and stubbornness not to abandon your dream just because you have a few bad writing days.

**“I Don’t Have Time to Write”**

This isn’t even a lie only told by new writers.

I know authors who have several books under their belt who still complain about this — but they still somehow find the time to get it done.

If you have the will — you will. It’s as simple as that.

Instead of scrolling through this site, you could be writing. Instead of watching Tv or whatever streaming service it is you pay for — you could be writing. Dishes, laundry, heck even personal hygiene can take a back seat every once in a while if it gives you the time to sit down and write out a few words for the day.

This is where the dedication comes in. If you want to — you will. No questions about it.

Sure you can complain if you want, it’s par for the course in any career, just make sure you show up to work and continue to find the time to do the job.

____________________________________________________

Writers are natural liars. We have to be to make our readers believe that the tales we are spinning for them are real, but that doesn’t mean we should be lying to ourselves if we can help it.

You are good enough, there’s inspiration all around you, you’ll get better with practice, and you can make the time to write.

Now go write.

With Love,

B. King xo xo

____________________________________________________

*If you've liked what you read you can show your support by subscribing, pledging your support, or leaving me a tip that directly supports and aids me as a writer.

By joining Vocal+ you can earn more per read on every story you publish on Vocal.

Click my link to start your 7-day free trial today and start earning more for your stories.

_____________________________________________

This story was originally posted on Medium.

If you would like to experience Medium yourself, consider supporting me and thousands of other writers by signing up for a membership. It only costs $5 per month, it supports us writers, greatly, and you have the chance to make money with your own writing as well. By signing up with this link, you'll support me directly with a portion of your fee, it won't cost you more. If you do so, thank you a million times!

If you love what you've read you can also show your support by buying me a cup of coffee to fuel my writing. 

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barbaraking

____________________________________________________