Tag: Inner critic

How to Stop Overthinking Your Story

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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By nature, most writers are overthinkers. We’re wired to question every aspect of our story. We look at the plot from every angle, figure out character goals and motivations, and then create an ending that ties up all the loose ends in a reasonable and satisfying way. Overthinking, you could say, is part of the creation process.

Problems occur when overthinking interferes with your ability to produce meaningful work. Or as one person recently suggested: “I’m not overthinking; I’m pre-solving problems that don’t exist yet.”

You know you’re overthinking your story when one of the following situations occur:

* You review and edit sections of your manuscript to make it “Just right” before you can finish the story.
* You abandon a project because it didn’t live up to your initial vision.
* You spend too much time researching and planning your story before actually writing it.
* You plotted the story down to the tiniest details, and after writing it, it sounds stiff and boring
* You plotted yourself into a corner and now can’t figure out how to fix it
* You’re more focused on the language of the story rather than the storytelling aspect
* You’re constantly comparing yourself to other writers and feeling that you fall short

Overthinking occurs when you’re “swimming in circles of self-criticism or perfectionism,” writes fantasy author K.M. Weiland. “[But] if you’re asking good questions, you’re not overthinking.”

She adds that overthinking is caused by two possible factors: lack of knowledge about storytelling and perfectionism.

The lack of knowledge can be rectified by reviewing the basics of story structure and character development so when you review your own work, you can notice what’s not working and fix it.

Perfectionism is a little tougher to overcome. Overthinking born out of perfectionism can be tiring and exhausting as you go over the same ground over and over. Questions you ask yourself may be more generic and focused on your performance as a writer than the performance of the story. For example, “does this paragraph sound right?”, “Is this the right word to use in this scene?” Or “What was I thinking when I wrote this section?” More often than not, these thoughts only trigger your insecurities and do nothing to improve your writing, Weiland says.

Fortunately, there are ways to halt the overthinking cycle, or at least minimize it, so you don’t get stuck in wasteful activity. Try one of these methods to see if you can stop overthinking your story.

1. Use word sprints. Author and book coach Janice Hardy says word sprints are designed to ignore the internal editor or critic. All you do is write without stopping to think. Just pick a length of time, say 20 minutes, then write as fast as you can without lifting your pen off the page (if handwriting) or stopping from typing to read what you wrote. Don’t worry about typos or misspelled words or how it sounds. Sure, it will be messy, but Hardy says “it’s a way to train yourself to ignore editing as you go.”

2. Use alternative methods of drafting. Many writers draft on the computer, but that can also lead to constant revision and deletion because it’s easy to backtrack to correct your ideas or start over. I usually draft my stories by handwriting. It might seem like a waste of time to some, but I find I’m more focused and the words flow more freely from my brain to the page. I’m also less apt to fix a word or question what I wrote.

Another option is dictation. Some mobile devices have a built-in feature that allows you to record words making it easy to draft a story wherever you go. If you don’t have that recording feature, check out apps that you can download that will let you do the same thing. 

3. Keep learning about your craft. When you understand more about plotting, character arcs and story structure, you’ll analyze your writing with sharper instincts about what to look for. You’ll be able to identify the problem areas without getting stuck in pointless “what if” cycles of overthinking. You’ll move forward with your story with greater confidence and ease.

4. Turn off your screen as you type. If you’re drafting on your computer and you’re easily distracted by pop-up alerts, emails, and other tech stuff, it might be a good idea to turn off the screen, suggests Hardy. Sure, you’re typing blindly, but you won’t have the temptation to stop what you’re writing to re-read something which can lead to editing or deleting it. That’s how the cycle of overthinking begins.

5. Set aside your story for a few days. That time and distance will give your brain a rest.  Instead, read a favorite author, take a mini-vacation or engage in a hobby. Sometimes shifting gears allows your brain to become more relaxed so a solution to your story problem can show up. Plus reading a favorite author can re-ignite your passion for writing.

6. Develop a healthier relationship with your inner critic. Sad to say, but our inner critic is here to stay. Look at the positive things it can do, such as warning you not to turn in your article until you’ve proofread your work one more time. But it can also wreak havoc when you’re in drafting mode and you’re trying to put words on the page. Somehow you have to make peace with the inner critic, acknowledge its presence but also set some ground rules for when it should appear, such as only during the revision stage when you need its sharp eye.

As Weiland reminds us: “A healthy inner critic guides us toward legitimate growth and improvement, while a toxic inner critic only tears us and our work down.”

Most importantly, trust the creative process, especially during the drafting phase when it’s more important to get your ideas down on the page or screen. No writing is ever perfect so don’t expect it to be. Aim for being good enough.

Overthinking in and of itself is not a bad thing, but it can hinder your progress as a writer. When you tone down the excessive cycling and useless questioning, you’ll get more writing done.

A Writer’s Guide to Overcoming Self-Doubt

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment

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“Our doubts are traitors,
and make us lose the good we oft might win
by fearing to attempt.”

William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure

Shakespeare said it best when he said that “our doubts are traitors.” They betray us by preventing us from engaging with our creativity in a healthful way. They betray us by instilling fear in us that our words will never matter. And they betray us by asserting their will over us. If we give in to those doubts and fears, we lose the chance at achieving greatness with our writing and making a difference in the world.

In my previous post, I wrote about how we can manage our own writing expectations. One of the factors I described is the inner critic, that internal voice that suggests you may never be good enough.

That inner critic is especially adept at creating an atmosphere of self-doubt. When that critic plants seeds of self-doubt in your mind, they are bound to sprout numerous buds that can grow into overgrown weeds.  When those overgrown weeks begin to choke your creativity, you know it’s time to take action. The last thing you want is self-doubt creeping into your writing practice.

Many writers have written about how they have dealt with feelings of self-doubt and insecurity all their writing lives. No one is immune from feeling that way, not even the most successful published authors like Stephen King, Clive Cussler and Sandra Brown, to name a few. I’m sure even Shakespeare had moments when he doubted himself. Self-doubt is as common as breathing.

Every writer who has experienced those feelings have found ways to deal with them, from journaling to staying focused on their craft to simply ignoring them. Borrowing from some of their ideas, here are a few ideas how you can deal with self-doubt when it makes its presence known in your writing practice.

1. Acknowledge its presence. Every writer who has ever written anything, published or not, has experienced occasional bouts of self-doubt in their careers, and the more successful ones are more prone to experiencing its ugly cousin, Imposter Syndrome. That’s the unshakable belief that you’re getting away with something and that you will soon be found out as a fraud. Realize that self-doubt happens to everybody. It’s a normal part of the writing process and it doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with you. In fact, many writing experts say that if you don’t ever feel self-doubt, you’re probably doing something wrong.

2. Give self-doubt a persona. Whether you call it your internal critic, the fraud police or something else, it might help to give self-doubt a name, writes Jim Dempsey at Writer Unboxed. Or try drawing a picture of it. What does self-doubt look like to you? Then put the drawing on your wall and stare it down whenever it tries to speak to you. When it shows up in your practice, you can say, “Oh, no, here comes Negative Nellie again!” It might be easier to fight off its effects when you can bring it out in the open, rather than hide it away in your subconscious where it can do more damage.

3. Write about your feelings. If you keep a journal, as most writers do, take time to write about those dogged feelings of doubt so they don’t overwhelm you. It can be easy to allow self-doubt to consume you to the point where you cannot write or create anything. Don’t do that. Instead, write about those feelings. It’s another way of acknowledging their existence, and that’s healthier than brushing them aside in the hopes they will go away.

4. Realize the feeling is temporary. Feelings of self-doubt and insecurity will ebb and flow in your life like ocean waves. Recognize that those feelings will pass in a matter of hours or days. Don’t let them deter you from your writing. In fact, most writers say it’s important to keep writing during those blue periods. You’ll eventually come out of them.

5. Give yourself permission to write junk. During those periods of self-doubt, it’s important to keep writing, suggests Ruthanne Reid at The Write Practice. Your writing won’t be the best stuff, but at least you are still working on your craft. There’s no such thing as wasted words, she says. No matter how awful your writing may be during that phase, there’s bound to be nuggets of valuable content that you can build on. Have faith in the writing process. It won’t let you down.

Acknowledge that self-doubt is part of the writing process. Make friends with it. Know that it will come and go in your life like old friends do. The next time it shows up in your writing practice, welcome it. Remember that it’s there to help you overcome obstacles so you become a better writer.