Writing When You Think Everything You Write Sucks

August 21, 2019

Writing When - You Think Everything You Write Sucks

You’ve been there. Maybe you’re there now. Everything you write is horrible. Terrible. It’s the horrible, terrible, no good, very bad writing (day). Welcome to the club. Stay awhile. While you’re here, you should know something. Everything you write probably doesn’t suck. And even if it does sort of suck, that’s good because…

When you buy through my links, I may earn money from my affiliate partners. Learn more.

Good writing comes from bad writing.

Not only good writing but great writing too. In fact, the absolute best writing on the planet comes (and came) from bad writing.

How so?

Glad you asked.

You know that friend who has lots of really great ideas for a book but hasn’t put any words to paper yet? Maybe they think you should be the one to write it, or the librarian, anyone, but certainly not them. They could never do it.

With that mindset, bad writing hasn’t even occurred yet. They’re still stuck in bad thinking. Bad thinking doesn’t get anyone anywhere and it certainly doesn’t get them to the New York Times (NYT) Bestseller list.

But you’re not ‘that friend’. You took a big, giant leap forward and actually wrote down your thoughts. You took a risk. A chance. A leap of faith.

You allowed yourself to be vulnerable. To be authentic. To be real. To be judged – eek!

Yet now, as you stare at your previously awesome words that are now looking more and more like horrible, terrible words, you’ve come to the conclusion that your writing sucks. You suck. Your life as a hopefully maybe possibly career author dreams are dashed.

But.

They’re not.

It’s the primary purpose of an author to write.

It’s not to sell books, spin ideas, impress friends, or have a hobby. It’s to write.

Writing doesn’t require anyone else’s approval or permission. It doesn’t require a social media platform or marketing strategy. It doesn’t need to be perfect or even “good”. Writing is simply the action of taking your ideas and putting them to paper (or computer for us modern folk).

Once the words are written, then the real work begins. The real work is taking this draft, plot, outline, or even a small collection of ideas and transforming it into something noble. Something epic. Something interesting, educational, or entertaining.

The art of great writing, good writing, or even fine writing comes through the revision process. Editing is where bad writing becomes good writing.

“A person who wrote badly did better than a person who does not write at all. A bad writing can be corrected. An empty page remains an empty page.” – Israelmore Ayivor, How You Can Write Your Dream Book

Your bad writing is far better than someone’s no writing. You now have product that can be improved. You’ve got a vision that can be tweaked.

So, tweak it. Revise it. Edit it. Try saying it differently. Try saying it better. Try saying it with less words and more words.

If you feel like you’ve tried it all and you’re not sure what to do about your bad writing, it’s time to share it. It’s time to bring in a critique partner (CP) or professional editor. These people aren’t as attached to your work as you are. They will see the plot holes. They’ll notice the grammar fixes. They’ll identify passive or active verbs, weak openings, and verbose sentences.

More times than not, a good critique or edit from someone else will reveal a whole new world to you. I’ve always been impressed by my CP’s thoughts on various manuscripts. They see so much I never saw and my once bad writing became more and more good writing. Each piece I write becomes better than the last.

And yet, even after countless words written, I still have my days where I think everything I write sucks. It’s normal. But it couldn’t be further from the truth. Write those thoughts down and let yourself shine through revision.

Did any of this resonate with you? If so, consider sharing it on your social media platform using the buttons provided. It would really encourage me to keep sharing messages like this one!

What do you do when you feel like your writing isn’t very good? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below and if you haven’t yet, subscribe to the site!

Happy writing!

Love it? Share it!

By Rhys Keller

Rhys Keller is a licensed Professional Engineer, writer, and entrepreneur. He helps people overcome life's roadblocks and setbacks through intentional living and a heavy dose of encouragement. Contact Rhys today if you're interested in life coaching services or collaboration.

4 Comments

  1. Reply

    Susan

    I absolutely love your encouraging words. After taking on the task of writing a blog I am finding that I am my very worst critic. So, anything I find that encourages me to pursue my goals is welcome. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Reply

      Rhys Keller

      Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and I’m glad you found it encouraging! The publishing industry is unlike any other in that the successful and aspiring, those on Cloud 9 and those hitting discouraging setback after setback all mix together. We are all in it together! Keep writing. Keep working. Hard work pays off!

  2. Reply

    Beth Gray - the little black ant

    Thank you for the awesome reminder to write even when it feels like pulling teeth!

    1. Reply

      Rhys Keller

      Yes! Pull those rhetorical teeth and keep writing!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *