Doubt

As writers we all fall pray to Doubt. It sits right there on your shoulder and questions every word we type. I know mine does. I asked a published author how to deal with Doubt and she said, ‘Go with your gut.’ What if your gut isn’t that reliable? What if your gut has led you astray in the past? Made you scratch your head and ask what the heck am I doing?

Join the crowd. We all aren’t that intuitive. We can’t go around second guessing everything or waiting for our gut to fess up. What we can do is be confident that what we are writing will make sense to someone. Our voice will shine and we’ll figure how what needs to be kept and what to pitch.

The best way to do this is critique partners. They know when you are writing your best and what (surprisingly) you are trying to say. They know when the story is shifting in the wrong way and how to get back on track. Trust them, use them, and in return help them accomplish their goals.

I am always amazed at how my critique partners can find every grammar mistake I make, no matter how many times I re-read something.

So, if Doubt has you by the hinny, join a critique group, they’ll defend you against all the odds.

 

Write On!

Geri Foster