When You Don't Think You're Good Enough by Robin E. Mason

Every writer, truly every artist, at some time or another, feels unworthy. That their work falls short of some standard. And perhaps, sometimes it does.

But I’ve learned something—perfection is a cruel and impossible taskmaster, excellence a kinder, more forgiving goal. We all have them, those days we can conquer anything. And we do. We tick off those items on our never-ending to-do list, and settle with a good cuppa to enjoy the fruit of our labors. Other days, though, our 112% barely grazes one or two of those bits. Bits that have become insurmountable.

I don’t know about you, but those days crush me. Or, they used to. And when I was striving for the elusive and impossible perfection, those days were EVERY day.

But two things happened. Or, rather, one thing precipitated the other—God’s grace relieved me of an impossible burden, and with that, the freedom to grow and excel in my writing. Still, those days creep in sometimes. And what are we to do when that happens?

I offer you what I used to tell my kids when somebody said something about them; ask yourself one question: “Is it true?” When those niggling doubts creep in—“Your writing is abominable.” “This story is stupid.” “That character just isn’t believable.” “No one wants to read this!—ask yourself if it’s true.”

Does no one really want to read this? Ah! This is the question, isn’t it? To me, this is the heart of why we write. Whether “just” for entertainment or with deep spiritual meaning, do we not write for others to read? I know I do. Of course I’d love to be a New York Times bestseller. Why wouldn’t I want my stories made into movies?

But even if that never happens, even if I never sold another book—HUSH MY MOUTH!—I know I have an Audience who will never disparage or belittle my writing. Coach me, yes. Encourage me, certainly. But never will He shred my efforts, no matter how weak.

I write, we all write, ultimately for an Audience of One. One who has instilled in us our love of and passion for, and dare I say, skill with words. And when He is pleased with our efforts, if not our finesse, then who are we to argue?

Do we stop striving to our best? Not at all. Does this mean we can be lazy and sloppy? Certainly not. We offer our very best to Him. And He is pleased with that.

I saw a quote the other day, attributed to Priscilla Shirer:

And that’s exactly it.

The next time you feel you don’t measure up—and there will be a next time—remember Who holds the measuring stick. And gauge yourself by His measure.

“Maybe you have to know the darkness to truly appreciate the light.” —Madeline L’Engle

 Robin E. Mason writes stories of identity conflict. Her characters encounter situations that force the question, “Who am I really?” For all who have ever wondered who you are or why you’re here, her stories will touch you in a very real—maybe too real—and very deep way. “I know, I write from experience.”

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Write Ugly by Susan Tuttle

Some would say there’s nothing more beautiful than a blank page. That wide expanse that allows a writer to dream of unending possibilities. And that feeling typically lasts all of 2.4 seconds for me (and others, if I can believe my other writer friends). See, many of us stare at that blank page unwilling to ugly it up with our words, because let’s be honest; rough drafts can be awfully ugly.

But you cannot do anything with a blank page. Oh, it’ll remain mar free and pristine, but no book reached The End in a pristine condition. For a writer to make progress, you have to…get this…WRITE. In all its messy, dreadful, ghastly, glory, you need to get words on that blank page.

My problem is with each new project I forget this. I’ve been staring at a blank page too long. But recently while editing a work by my crit partner I was reminded that ugly writing is made beautifully stunning in the editing stages. I’d watched her struggle with a story, unsure even at times of where it would go, but she put words on paper nonetheless. Then she began to shape them into a striking, witty, charming novel through individual word changes, sewing up plot holes, and reworking paragraphs. None of that could occur until after she had the story on paper though.

You see, our first draft allows us to get to know our characters and their story. It doesn’t matter if you’re a planner or pantser, there are elements of a story that don’t come out until you’re writing it. And once you reach the first The End you can go back with new insight on those threads and characters so that you’re able to enhance the story with what you’ve discovered.

But first you must write ugly. Give yourself the freedom to do that. It’s a challenge I’m issuing to myself and to you today. Now let’s go after those words!

 

Susan L. Tuttle lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her best friend and is a homeschooling mom of three. She’s firmly convinced that letters were meant for words, not math, and loves stringing them together into stories that inspire, encourage, and grow women into who God created them to be. Romance, laughter, and cookies are three of her favorite things, though not always in that order. You can connect with Susan at her blog, Steps, Facebook, or Twitter.