Every Writer’s First Mistakes: Part 1

The joy of discovering your passion for writing is exhilarating, but it’s also wise to take the time and invest in self-reflection. The process has taught me so much about myself as an individual — my strengths, my weaknesses — and how best I can use each one toward their ultimate goal: bringing stories to life.

The first time I picked up my pen with a purpose, it was messy and unorganized (but I didn’t know that then). The ideas from all sorts of different experiences queued in the back of my mind and tried to make their way out at once. And in instances like this, it’s easy to get carried away when that rush of inspiration comes flooding out.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to those first moments when everything was new and exciting, but I can’t. All I can do now is look back and appreciate how much I’ve grown (I’m still learning to give myself credit where it’s due) and the obstacles I’ve overcome to become this version of myself in my craft.

The beginning of every journey is filled with mistakes and sometimes confusion. I had several guides on my journey, some of whom helped me figure many things out on time. However, I had to figure the rest out on my own.

This article represents all the things I was told or wished someone had helped me with when I first started out. They’ve helped build my character and outlook on writing and life — so hopefully, at least one of these will be able to assist you too.

1. Seeing through rose-colored glasses

The world of a budding writer (this applies to first-time writers of all ages) is exceptionally vibrant. Imagine yourself as a fledgling vampire in transition. Everything around you has been heightened by your newfound passion for words. You can’t seem to get enough of them; they’re like succulent nectar that drowns out any sense of hunger or thirst. So you write continuously to satiate this urge.

Writing is a beautiful process that can be both freeing and intoxicating, but it’s not all about putting words on paper. You have to remind yourself of this when you’re in ‘the zone’, because otherwise your writing may veer off course and end up tangled, incoherent, and overly expressive from excitement.

The first step of writing is the act of putting pen to paper, and then there’s re-writing. What you’ve written may seem exquisite now, but remember it’s just a draft — your masterpiece will only get better with time. Don’t stunt its growth by dropping your pen after the last word; the feelings and ideas that come up afterward only serve to perfect your draft. Perceive them as the much-needed icing on your cake.

In order to do this, you need to be honest with yourself about your written work. You can’t achieve excellence without acknowledging that no one’s work ever looks perfect — not even those who write extremely well. But, by practicing self-reflection and identifying what areas need more attention, you’ll find ways to make these improvements happen faster.

The goal here isn’t perfection; rather it focuses on getting rid of rose-colored glasses that give your work an unblemished tint, preventing you from whipping it into the best shape possible.

“The first draft reveals the art; revision reveals the artist.”

― Michael Lee

2. Appreciating purple prose

Everyone has a voice, including you. You’ve been telling stories since before you could even speak words, and that art of storytelling only matures with time. Use that same voice in your work. Let it set you apart. No two people sound alike, nor do they write alike. Therein lies your advantage.

The first words you write are often not award-worthy, but they’re still yours and that’s all that matters.

However, it is essential to take note of how these sentences are being crafted, because there may be some flaws in your language usage or structure that could hinder readers from connecting to your story.

When you’re just starting out, it’s easy to think that complicated words are what will make your story stand apart. But in reality, there may be more than one perfect word choice for every situation- even when writing something as simple and straightforward as “I went shopping today.”

While it’s true that sometimes a regular word may not do justice in expressing what you want to say, writers should remember the power of simplicity. Complexity can be an artistically unnecessary addition or burdensome element when writing something for everyday use- although there is no shame in using big words if needed.

Well-written sentences use a mixture of simple and complex words to enhance readers’ understanding. So if you can’t get across your message with complicated phrases or words, then what good are they?

The right word goes a long way in enhancing the reader’s experience — it should be able to make their senses tingle.

“The real art is not to come up with extraordinary clever words but to make ordinary simple words do extraordinary things. To use the language that we all use and to make amazing things occur.”

―Graham Swift

3. Isolating your mind

The journey to becoming a successful writer begins with learning from others who have been there before you. By surrounding yourself with experienced writers, you learn mastery of craft and writing guidelines. From budding writers, you learn creativity and writing trends. From both, you learn how to allow individuality shine through creativity; and how to never neglect one for the other if they are both needed.

At this point, your mind should be a sponge soaking up all the influences around it, integrating them into what eventually becomes your writing style. Consider this an adventure.

There are many sites where writers can connect (Like where we are right now - Vocal), form groups and ask questions; go ahead with taking classes if that interests you too (just make sure there’s room left to reflect and let it all sink in).

4. Developing an underdeveloped sense of autonomy

By all means, leave your training wheels behind when you’re ready to ride solo- but don’t take them off before then. Writing is just like riding a bike; it’s easier with some guidance.

However, ditching your support system before you’re ready can have negative effects on how successful your writing and life become. With time comes change; however, if this process is done under the mindset of perceived autonomy, then there may be more harm than good done by continuing along these lines because what was once an asset could become another debt instead.

When you’re ready to take the next step and become your own support system, know that it’s a process. You can’t just do everything in one go or expect immediate results. At first, you might feel like the only one who wants this, but as with any change in life, there will come a point when everyone needs their own space- even if they’re not quite sure what that looks like yet.

But usually, by the time that happens, you’ve gained most of what you need to stand firmly on your own feet.

5. Jumping the gun to compete

The idea of going up against other writers in competitions is not for the faint-hearted. But we’ve all had that fire to do so at one point or another, and there will be plenty more opportunities where this could happen too.

What’s important is making sure you don’t feel pressured into taking part if it isn’t what your heart wants. The competitiveness that is required to win these competitions comes only from within, and if you don’t have that, then it’s okay to bow out.

The more you write, the better. There’s no reason to be insecure about other writers’ growing literacy prowess because all that matters is your own growth. All you have to do is focus on yours, take notes of what the winners and other writers you admire are doing, and when the time comes, you’ll be more than ready to participate in these competitions.

The early stages of writing are filled with many ups and downs. Naturally, you will learn as time goes on; however, there’s no need for any scars if we can help it. It might be wise to set some checkpoints in place so that you don’t repeat the same mistakes made by others before you and help those coming along.

Like most other writers I’ve felt the first draft in my early years was best seller material (It wasn’t); I’ve written lengthy and incoherent sentences that were filled with unnecessary and overly complex words that even I barely understood; I’ve felt threatened by the progress of other writers and fallen into a downward spiral of self-doubt, especially when I entered competitions that were more advanced than I could handle. But it’s all okay. It’s part of the learning curve.

Writing is a journey of self-discovery. There comes a point when you just know, without any doubt in your mind or hesitation about what to do next- this will work for me!

But until then, keep trying and never give up, because sometimes we’re on the verge of creating something extraordinary — even if it doesn’t feel that way at first (And it doesn’t a lot of the time).

“Just get it down on paper, and then we’ll see what to do with it.”

― Maxwell Perkins

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I’d love to hear about some of the mistakes you first made when you started writing. Maybe even some you’re still making.

(Stay tuned for the next installment in this series)