Dealing with your inner "nay-sayer"

During NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) writers are told to lock up their inner editor, and to throw caution, and negative thoughts, to the wind and just get your words on paper.


But what happens the other elven months of the year if you are a serious writer? How do you deal with the negativity that often comes from your own mind when you don't have the huge community behind you?


This is such a critical element for many writers. Especially writers that may just be getting started on their journey. Often they are left staring at the blank screen, or page, and are intimidated by it. What if their work isn't good? What if no one likes their story or characters?


If you are really serious about your work, you simply cannot let this be the end of the road.


Fortunately, thanks to NaNoWriMo, and the tag #amwriting (Twitter and Instagram)many people are able to find, and build, an online community of writers. Many of these writers write not only during the month of NaNo, but throughout the year! They can be an invaluable source of commiseration and support. Each person helps to hold the others accountable. Sometimes you literally have to build your cheerleading section yourself! Just remember to be just as supportive to the others as they are to you! Everyone needs help and cheer every now and then.


But what happens if your cheering section grows dim, and the negative thoughts about your work creep in?


Reading about other writer's struggles can actually help. Often it helps to know that you are NOT alone in these feelings. They are completely valid, and everyone has them. The trick is to get them to be silent long enough to get words down on the page.


I will let those thoughts out only in small doses. I acknowledge them, validate what I am feeling, and then tell them to kindly go away, I'm working. That little negativity can actually help me be a better writer, it forces me to pay attention to certain aspects of my writing. However, the negativity that I allow back in during the editing and rewriting process HAS to be CONSTRUCTIVE.


Any thoughts that just claim that you suck, your writing is uninspired, and that your plot is uninteresting are not allowed. Maybe you do have those problems, but the comments must be able to be used for bettering the work. Not to bring you down. In order to have the best story you could, sometimes things need to be changed or altered. There is nothing wrong in this. I had completely re-written Through the Mountains at least three times before it was where I wanted it to be.


You cannot only listen to the negative. You must work to turn it into a situation where good can come of it. And you need that person in your corner that is going to support you, and you will at times need to lean on them. There is nothing wrong with that. Just keep moving forward, even if it's a baby step. It's a step in the right direction.


If you need someone in your corner, or are just building your online writing community, feel free to add me on Twitter and/or Instagram, my handle is @OnADragonsWing2.


Until next time, keep writing my friends!