5 Writing Myths Holding You Back as a Writer

It’s easy to find reasons not to write. If your brain is anything like mine it loves to throw mean and silly thoughts at me when I’m trying to depart on a writing journey.

StoryForge is all about taking the often isolating practice of writing and sharing your experience (the triumphs and the challenges!) with the community. We’re here to support you through every step of your writing journey. Today let’s take a look at five writer myths that may be holding you back. 

"You need to write every day to be a real writer."

Writing everyday is nice. Most writers wish they could spend three or more hours in a comfy spot writing their masterpiece, but that is a luxury most can’t access. Whether it’s work, family, school, or the daily chores involved in life, days can go by quickly. Sometimes you only have ten minutes available to write in a day. 

On the other hand, inspiration ebbs and flows. It’s important to write even when you’re not inspired. But if the words feel robotic and hard to find, maybe it’s best for you to wait for your next five hour writing spree.

Stick with whatever writing schedule feels sustainable for you and doesn’t lead you into creative burnout. 

"Good writing comes naturally."

This one is SO untrue that it makes me laugh. Writing takes work!

Like I said earlier, it’s important to keep writing even when the inspiration isn’t flowing freely. Some days will be hard and everything you write might sound terrible and wrong. It’s okay to take a step back when it’s needed, but don’t think you’re a bad writer because your work doesn’t automatically sound like what you’ve recently loved.

Remember, published books have gone through dozens of drafts and intense editing work to reach that level of quality. 

"If you don’t have a big original idea, it’s not worth writing."

Every great story takes inspiration from somewhere. Even Star Wars was influenced by Roman history, so don't think your idea isn't original or interesting enough.

Many great stories begin with a simple scenario and then the writer comes up with ways to make situations difficult for the characters.

When in doubt, think of an entirely normal experience you’ve had and see how intense and strange you can rewrite it. 

"First drafts should be perfect." 

Your first draft will likely be terrible. It’s all about getting your idea on paper even if that means changing the character’s names four times, creating chapters with alternate timelines, or leaving sections to fill in later with more detail.

If you’re overthinking every word, you’re actually doing yourself a disservice because you’re pushing back the next step: editing.

"You have to stick to the rules to write well."

It’s great to learn the common rules of writing like “Show, don’t tell,” but if thinking of all the rules has you overwhelmed it’s best to forget them all. Especially if you’re in your first draft it’s not necessary to be worried about the right or wrong way to write.

If you’re in the editing phase and second guessing every sentence for fear of writing the “wrong” way, then it’s time to rely on your beta readers for helpful and honest feedback. Their insight will help guide the way for necessary rewrites. 

When I’m having a hard time with my perfectionism or impostor syndrome I like to voice my challenges to my writer friends. You can do the same with other writer’s in a circle on StoryForge, in our Discord community, or tag us on socials @_storyforge