Write. Right or Wrong.
a letter to myself, and to you.
What if I pour my heart on a page, only for it to go unseen? What if I've been reading things all wrong? What if my time and talents waste away with every stroke of a key? This writing thing isn't for the weak, but what if I'm not strong?
Doubting myself is nothing new... but what about those I trust? Surely, they wouldn't lie to me.
My mom, who has always said, "You have a way with words!"
My dad, who made a comment about my fantasy football recaps, saying, 'You do a good job with these... like really good."
As my parents, perhaps they are just biased... after all, supporting me is part of the job, right?
What about my college writing professor who was hard on all my papers? Just when I thought maybe I didn't have what it took, she gave me the highest grade in the class and asked me to be her aid the following year.
What about my employer who constantly asked "Can you edit this and make it sound better before sending it out?"
Are they all in cahoots playing some cruel joke or is writing something I can do after all?
What is stopping me? What is holding me back? I don't know why I bother to ask. The answer I already know. It stares me square in the face every time I sit down to write. It's the same thing that drives the majority of our decisions in life: fear. Fear of being uninteresting or irrelevant. Fear that there is nothing new to say. Fear of simply not being good enough. Fear of being judged or misunderstood. The list goes on and on. Endless excuses fill my mind. Why can't I have as much confidence as others hold in me?
Without a doubt, I know what holds me back, but what will push me forward? What drives me to say, "I will write anyway"? It's not the promise of fame, fortune, or prestige. It's the encouraging words from those I love. It's the way I feel alive every time my thoughts hit the page just right. It's the upswing in my mood when I've used a creative outlet to express my inner self. It's the fact that written communication gives me the opportunity to carefully consider each word in order to portray my ideas more accurately than verbal communication allows. It's the intense desire inside of me to inspire and encourage others with my words. These are the factors that motivate me to write, in spite of my fears.
Dear family member who has 20 different story ideas saved on their computer,
Dear colleague who writes out their inner thoughts when they are feeling overwhelmed and instantly feels better,
Dear friend who keeps a private journal full of poetry hidden away from the rest of the world,
What is holding you back from sharing, and what will you use to drive you past the road block in your mind?
Maybe you're a little comma happy (Hi, I'm Tori. Have we met?) or maybe your sentences run on, and on, and on.
Maybe there is someone better or more qualified... of course there is. There always is.
Maybe your fears are valid. Perhaps, you're not very good. On the plus side, that means you only have room to improve!
Maybe someone judges you. Let them. It is a reflection on them, not you.
Don't let the "maybes" hold you back. because I promise you this: no one can offer your unique perspective except for you!
Maybe the content of what you are writing matters more than the grammar.
Maybe you are more talented than you realize.
Maybe writing will unleash something inside you that you had no idea existed.
Maybe, just maybe, you will write a piece that someone else can relate to and feel inspired by.
So, write! Fact or fiction. Motivational or educational. Funny or heartfelt. Polished or unfiltered. Brief or extensive. Right or wrong... write.
About the Creator
Tori
Local to Central Oregon, I am a wife, mom of 3 young kids, and lover of Jesus. I enjoy baking, wood-burning, writing, and running (I use "enjoy" loosely on the latter). I crave a simple life full of family, board games, and lots of coffee.
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Comments (19)
Thank you for sharing your light!
Everything you shared is spot on. I can relate to everything you shared. Thank you for encouraging and inspiring other readers like me!
Very inspirational. You have a brilliant talent for words! Thanks for sharing.
Spot on! I've linked this to my inspirational bookmarks. For me, at this time in my life, nothing is more true.
I just signed up, I'm going to try effort again into being clear, i've been burned by this before so i quit doing it. It's hard to explain. I had to repair my brain, by myself. I didnt want to. However, I found a way to make something work that can give clarity on almost any situation. I feel I have found answers to things you've addressed. In the same reasoning you've conveyed, are decisions i've come to. I have some wild reasons tacked on just incase... I hope to find the answers i'm looking for, and its not clear what the consequences would be. I know on my bad days, i believe i'm either going to write one hell of a book, or find reasons to value the cushions on the wall. Its a crazy thought to accept that things really would be easier for me if I were wrong more often. I feel certain I have not provided enough context for this to be understood, even by other abstract thinkers. Being understood has never been my goal. The misunderstandings I've uncovered have been more damaging than I could have imagined. I've intentionally left typo's and missing words along with being metaphorical on too many things. I'd rather encourage confusion as to not even bother thinking someone could have a clue what I think... symptoms of what I am guessing to be ADHD do seem to becoming more apparent. I think I've hopped trains too much already to remember what I was hoping to get out with fewer words, which hasn't been successful lately anyways. I think i have the hyper focus version, I do notice entirely too much, but I am normally able to follow it all. So what I read received this. That might be enough for me to just say thank you. Now I believe I can accept the challenge of proving what I say, and perhaps because I could say this proves otherwise. If it falls short, could still probably do alright in another genre. If it's clear and seems to lean in my favor... well after this comment, idk if it would actually help my case.
Lots of maybes are really obstacles some of us put before us.
This is wonderful and so true.
Wow! You took the words right out of my mouth. Amazing work!!
THANK YOU! I needed to read this!
Thank you. I needed another jumpstart!
Beautifully and simply said. Loved it!!!
I like the advice here. I hope others read what you have written. When you have time, check out my stories.
This is exactly what I needed Tori! Lots of thought provoking questions of continuing/getting started with the art of writing!
I love writing. I have been writing for many long years. When the internet opened, it felt really good to have some way of getting my stories seen. No writer is a genius, though every writer has their own unique and individual talents.
A lof truth here... I have to keep writing... 🤔
Loved this. I love to write as well. I write poems and stories, but mainly I have been writing and sharing what I learned in college and graduate school. I wanted to be a teacher, well I guess I am kind of for I like to teach through my writing. Good work.
Inspiring. Great delivery.
Love this! Exactly how I feel!
Yes yes yes!!! Love this so much!!!! Have dealt with many similar fears. Thank you for sharing this!