Writer’s Jounal, Part 1: The Imaginary Critic

I finally got back into writing my novel. I skipped out on finishing a chapter, and I started a new one. I have no problem with that. It felt right. My problem was that I wrote only 500 words. I know from experience that only writing more (1000 words a day) will make me a better writer, but you get so caught up in what’s missing from your writing and how it looks.

Writing seems to be about giving yourself the opportunity to look bad to yourself.

You argue with an imaginary person standing over your shoulder, telling you what’s wrong.

This is where you lose your voice.

Can writing ever be pure?

Can we really ever write for ourselves or do those moments exist in between the negative thoughts?

At this point in life and career, I’m going with the latter.

I know I’ve been there. I just don’t know how to get back.

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7 thoughts on “Writer’s Jounal, Part 1: The Imaginary Critic”

  2. You are at a fairly joyless stage in your writing journey – but trust me, it’s a sign of real progress. You are starting to notice the flaws in your writing style. It’s a tricky time for writers and as a Creative Writing tutor, this is the time when a fair number give up in disgust as they have learnt sufficient about the craft to realise they fall short, but haven’t quite developed the technique to write exactly what they want.
    My advice is to press forward with your first draft – you can’t improve your work if it isn’t on the page. When you come to the editing stage, if you find it all overwhelming, get back in touch and I’ll give you a few pointers that makes the task easier to cope with. In the meantime, the very best of luck. Keep writing and have faith.

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