Dealing with insecurity

Since nobody wanted me to write more about the Game of Thrones I want to discuss something that has been bothering me for a while. I always try to get people to write, everybody has stories to tell, whether they need some more work or not.

They always say things like: I’m not talented enough, or I just can’t write, I don’t have anything interesting enough to write about.

More seasoned writers know how difficult it is to write something good, I don’t consider myself seasoned but more often than not I feel the pressure and anxiety when I’m writing something because I never know how good it actually is, and sometimes I let these doubts defeat me. I procrastinate, even though I don’t want to, and end up dropping some pieces. I’ve said time and time again that writing is tough, tough on the body and the mind, it doesn’t pay well and takes many hours from us, but since these objections are often raised I feel it’s time to bust some myths.

Writing is not about talent.

It’s true that some people have a better way with words, but it takes no more than reading a few books to catch up. Writing is all about hard work and dedication to your craft. Anyone can write a book. Have you seen some of the crap out there? Now you shouldn’t settle for crap, but for excellence. There’s this dogma relating writing with talent and ability, something only a selected few could do. That’s bs and you know it.

Anyone can write.

I hear people telling me that they can’t write and can’t help but to laugh. If you have three years old then you probably can’t write, I think. But you learn to read and write soon enough. Is this person trying to tell me he/she never went to school? Are they trying to tell me that they never signed any papers? What a cheap excuse.

Life is extremely interesting.

It is true that some of us don’t lead the most exciting lives, we don’t travel around the world or go live with monkeys and whatnot, but that doesn’t mean your life has been a waste. We meet people every day, we make decisions every instant, we can dream and use our minds to think and imagine different worlds. People who say they don’t have anything interesting to write are devaluing themselves. Imagination is something that one can build with time. I can imagine myself living in the age of kings, or fighting fantastic creatures, or even being involved in a mystery. If I can do it, so can you. It’s all about reading some books and going from there.

People are just afraid, they don’t want to fail, they don’t want to be laughed at, and I completely understand that as I felt that way before. However when we start letting our fears control us, we lose our freedom, our identity and our ability to change. Failure is a part of life, it makes us grow, I’ve failed countless times, but I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Writing is a scary thing, it can take us to unknown directions, but it is also a liberating experience. Stop limiting yourself.

Let me give you some advice: write about whatever you want, share it with your closest friends, they won’t laugh at you if they are your friends, and listen to their advice. But don’t forget to write, and don’t forget to liberate yourself.

Have a nice day!