"You Asked!" #26: Doubt
irenelatham asked: Does that niggling self-doubt EVER all the way go away???
2K9 authors answered:
Megan Crewe: I don't think you ever completely leave doubt behind. In fact, I think if you did, your writing would suffer. A healthy amount of doubt is what keeps us striving to tell better stories, portray stronger characters, polish that prose until it shines. The trick is learning how to shove that doubt to the side when it's being harmful instead of hurtful. Sometimes you just have to turn off the inner critic and write what feels right. (Am I always able to do this? No. But I'm getting better with practice. :) )
Cheryl Renee Herbsman: No.
J.T. Dutton: I agree with Cheryl. It might even get worse.
Donna St. Cyr: NO - a thousand times no. But it does get smaller every time a child tells me they read my book and enjoyed it.
Danielle Joseph: No, it never goes away but I do have a bit more confidence to plow ahead when I get to a crossroads. I have to stop and remind myself, you did this before, you can do it again:)!
Lauren Bjorkman: There's always something new to fret about. Will libraries buy my book? Will anyone check it out? Can I write another book? Will my supply of chocolate hold out?
Suzanne Morgan Williams: Yes, we can always find something to worry about - including will I be able to write another book, will they take it, what about reviews etc. But I think after the first time through, even though the doubts are still there, some of them don’t seem as important. Especially not on days when you get a clipping in the mail about your book from a friend or when a reader e-mails to say they loved your book.
Deborah Lytton: Sometimes it's a whisper and other times it's screaming at me, but it doesn't ever disappear. And I have to say I'm grateful for it because that feeling is what challenges me every day to become a better writer than I was yesterday.
Joy Preble: Nope. But I think that's a good thing. A little self-doubt keeps me working harder. (Okay, it also keeps me edgy and angsty and possibly a little crazy. But boy am I working.)
Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Not really... no.
Lisa Greenwald: Doubt it! :)
Fran Cannon Slayton: Yes, I am completely free of self-doubt these days! Just kidding . . . I try really hard to just let go and write; keep the blinders on. But it's hard to do - some days I am better than others. It's a roller coaster! But that's one of the things that makes this journey so exciting, too.
Lauren Strasnick: Sadly, NO.
Sydney Salter: Unfortunately, for me, the self-doubt has only increased since my books hit the shelves. I had gotten very good at being a pre-published author--I knew how to write a solid query, a decent synopsis, I'd made some helpful industry contacts... Now I have to navigate an entirely new world of publicity, marketing, and those dreaded reviews! There are so many more voices to quiet in my head when I sit down to write these days. But even with all that doubt, I wouldn't want to do anything else.
2K9 authors answered:
Megan Crewe: I don't think you ever completely leave doubt behind. In fact, I think if you did, your writing would suffer. A healthy amount of doubt is what keeps us striving to tell better stories, portray stronger characters, polish that prose until it shines. The trick is learning how to shove that doubt to the side when it's being harmful instead of hurtful. Sometimes you just have to turn off the inner critic and write what feels right. (Am I always able to do this? No. But I'm getting better with practice. :) )
Cheryl Renee Herbsman: No.
J.T. Dutton: I agree with Cheryl. It might even get worse.
Donna St. Cyr: NO - a thousand times no. But it does get smaller every time a child tells me they read my book and enjoyed it.
Danielle Joseph: No, it never goes away but I do have a bit more confidence to plow ahead when I get to a crossroads. I have to stop and remind myself, you did this before, you can do it again:)!
Lauren Bjorkman: There's always something new to fret about. Will libraries buy my book? Will anyone check it out? Can I write another book? Will my supply of chocolate hold out?
Suzanne Morgan Williams: Yes, we can always find something to worry about - including will I be able to write another book, will they take it, what about reviews etc. But I think after the first time through, even though the doubts are still there, some of them don’t seem as important. Especially not on days when you get a clipping in the mail about your book from a friend or when a reader e-mails to say they loved your book.
Deborah Lytton: Sometimes it's a whisper and other times it's screaming at me, but it doesn't ever disappear. And I have to say I'm grateful for it because that feeling is what challenges me every day to become a better writer than I was yesterday.
Joy Preble: Nope. But I think that's a good thing. A little self-doubt keeps me working harder. (Okay, it also keeps me edgy and angsty and possibly a little crazy. But boy am I working.)
Kathryn Fitzmaurice: Not really... no.
Lisa Greenwald: Doubt it! :)
Fran Cannon Slayton: Yes, I am completely free of self-doubt these days! Just kidding . . . I try really hard to just let go and write; keep the blinders on. But it's hard to do - some days I am better than others. It's a roller coaster! But that's one of the things that makes this journey so exciting, too.
Lauren Strasnick: Sadly, NO.
Sydney Salter: Unfortunately, for me, the self-doubt has only increased since my books hit the shelves. I had gotten very good at being a pre-published author--I knew how to write a solid query, a decent synopsis, I'd made some helpful industry contacts... Now I have to navigate an entirely new world of publicity, marketing, and those dreaded reviews! There are so many more voices to quiet in my head when I sit down to write these days. But even with all that doubt, I wouldn't want to do anything else.