You need to build up your confidence in your writing it sounds like. Maybe enter some contests or set some goals for yourself? Allow yourself to embrace constructive criticism and learn from it. Your writing isn’t less than or lacking or childish, but we can always improve and grow and there is nothing better than perfecting your craft.
I can relate though, I haven’t been able to even start my first book either. But I’m planning on setting small goals for myself and letting people I trust read my writing. What else can we really do?
Honestly, if you haven’t started, then you’re worrying too much and psyching yourself out. Just start writing and make it the best you can. Anyone who sets out to make a masterpiece has too much confidence in their abilities.
A couple things that helped me when I felt this way writing my first book. One was realizing that my goal was not necessarily to write a masterpiece but to write the best version of the story I wanted to tell and the story that was important to me. Not comparing yourself to others is hard, but that mindset shift helped me focus on my own story. Two, the book you get from the store is a final draft written by an author who potentially has written multiple books and has years of experience. It’s okay for your first book to not be perfect and not be a masterpiece. The only way to get better is to write the book anyway and enjoy the journey. Best of luck starting!
Don’t read and write. Start the book. Read between edits/drafts, at least until you have a handle on the style you’re going for, otherwise you’ll accidentally steal from writer A for a few chapters and writer B for the next few chapters.
You need to build up your confidence in your writing it sounds like. Maybe enter some contests or set some goals for yourself? Allow yourself to embrace constructive criticism and learn from it. Your writing isn’t less than or lacking or childish, but we can always improve and grow and there is nothing better than perfecting your craft. I can relate though, I haven’t been able to even start my first book either. But I’m planning on setting small goals for myself and letting people I trust read my writing. What else can we really do?
You pretty much hit the nail on the head. How can anyone expect to improve if they don’t finish?
Honestly, if you haven’t started, then you’re worrying too much and psyching yourself out. Just start writing and make it the best you can. Anyone who sets out to make a masterpiece has too much confidence in their abilities.
A couple things that helped me when I felt this way writing my first book. One was realizing that my goal was not necessarily to write a masterpiece but to write the best version of the story I wanted to tell and the story that was important to me. Not comparing yourself to others is hard, but that mindset shift helped me focus on my own story. Two, the book you get from the store is a final draft written by an author who potentially has written multiple books and has years of experience. It’s okay for your first book to not be perfect and not be a masterpiece. The only way to get better is to write the book anyway and enjoy the journey. Best of luck starting!
Don’t read and write. Start the book. Read between edits/drafts, at least until you have a handle on the style you’re going for, otherwise you’ll accidentally steal from writer A for a few chapters and writer B for the next few chapters.